Detroit Tigers Must Send a Message to the Cleveland Indians, AL Central

The Detroit Tigers fell last night to the Cleveland Indians, 3-2. The game itself was an odd, rain-delayed 14-inning marathon that didn't end until the wee hours of the morning. Detroit's lead in the AL Central is now down to three games over the Indians, who look to remain in contention for the divisional crown.

The Tigers are now 2-5 against the Indians in 2011 and have lost 12 straight at Progressive Field. If the Tigers are to win the AL Central, this trend has to be halted tonight.

Both teams sat down their starting pitchers last night after a two-hour rain delay. Combine that with 14 innings of baseball and it becomes obvious that both teams will be fighting fatigue tonight.

The Tigers send pitcher Rick Porcello to the hill on Wednesday night. Porcello will face newly acquired Indians hurler Ubaldo Jimenez. Last night's game featured seven Tigers pitchers and eight Indians pitchers, so there will be no room for error on the mound from either starter.

In his last six starts for the Detroit, Rick Porcello is 5-0 with a 3.26 ERA. He has gone six-plus innings in four consecutive starts; he'll need to go about eight tonight. Porcello is currently 11-6 on the season.

Ubaldo Jimenez has made one appearance thus far for Cleveland since being traded from the Colorado Rockies. Last week, on the road against the Texas Rangers, Jimenez pitched five innings allowing five runs. The Cleveland faithful will be energized to see their new pitcher tonight.

It is imperative that the Tigers pounce on Jimenez early and often. They need to make a statement to the Indians that the AL Central crown will reside in Detroit. By beating up on Jimenez early, the Tigers can crush the hopes and dreams of Indians fans. They can also terminate their losing streak in Cleveland.

Wednesday night will be a statement game for the Detroit Tigers in many ways. It will be a game that proves to Detroit fans that 2011 is not a year where they will stumble down the stretch. Wednesday night's game will be one that bursts Cleveland's bubble. It will also be a game that sends a message to the rest of the AL Central and the baseball world that the 2011 Detroit Tigers are for real.