The Indians look to sweep the Detroit Tigers for the third time of the 2016 season on Sunday, as Josh Tomlin takes the mound against Justin Verlander.
The Tribe is 8-0 against the Tigers this year, on pace for the best season-series record vs. Detroit in the history of the two franchises.
What’s even more impressive about this 8-0 start is that the Tribe has gone 5-for-5 on the road so far.
Looking back at the history of the rivalry, there are only five seasons out of the 116-year history that compare to what the Indians have done so far to their neighbors up North.
In 1951, the Tribe won 17 out of 22 matches.
In a strike-shortened 1994 season, the Tribe went 8-2 against Detroit.
In 1995, the Tribe went 10-3 against Detroit, winning all six games in Cleveland. That still was not as impressive as what the Tribe is doing to the Tigers up to this point in the season because Detroit won three out of seven at home.
The only other time that the Indians went 10-3 against Detroit was 1918. 98 years ago. The Tribe went 6-2 at home and 4-1 on the road.
But the most dominant season the Indians have ever had against Detroit came in 1996, when the Tribe won all 12 meetings.
The Indians are still four games off from eclipsing that feat, but given the way their starting pitching has been rolling, it’d be foolish to rule it out.
The Tribe plays the Tigers 11 more times in 2016 including Sunday.
Cleveland knows what it’s like to be on the wrong end of this rivalry. In 2013, the Tigers won 15 of 19 games.
In 2009, the Tigers took 14 of 18.
The Tigers went 17-5 against Cleveland in 1915 and 1946.
Detroit leads the all-time series 1,108 to 1,077 in 2,185 games played between the two teams.
From 2010 to 2015, the Tigers went 66-44 in 110 games played.
It’s nice to be on the winning side for a change.
Side note: Including the Cavs, no Cleveland team has lost to a Detroit team for 12 straight games and counting.
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