Tigers-Indians Preview

A free agent after 2008, C.C. Sabathia entered the season hoping to build off his Cy Young campaign and lift the AL Central champion Cleveland Indians to their first World Series title in 60 years.

But the Indians don't look much like champions so far, and Sabathia -- who's looked nothing like one of baseball's best pitchers -- is a big reason why.

Coming off one of the worst starts of his career, Sabathia will look to win for the first time this season on Wednesday when the Indians begin a two-game set with the Detroit Tigers.

Cleveland (5-9) has lost consecutive games and five of its last six, but of greater concern is the performance of their staff ace and reigning Cy Young award winner.

It's not just that Sabathia (0-2, 11.57 ERA) has struggled thus far; he's looked like one of the league's worst pitchers. He gave up nine runs in 10 2-3 innings in his first two starts, walking seven.

It got worse for the burly left-hander in his last start, when he gave up a career high-tying nine runs on 12 hits in 3 1-3 innings of a 9-7 loss to Oakland.

"There's no excuse why I'm pitching this way," Sabathia told the team's official Web site after that outing. "It's just one of those things. But I've been here before, and I'm definitely going to get this thing right."

Sabathia was outstanding most of 2007, but he wasn't great against the Tigers despite a 3-1 record. He lasted at least seven innings in four of his five starts, but had a 5.29 ERA.

All of a sudden, it appears Detroit's offense, which had been dormant early in 2008, has awakened. The Tigers (4-10) still have the worst record in the AL, but they've put together back-to-back wins for the first time, largely due to an offense that totaled 17 runs in a two-game sweep of Minnesota.

Sixteen of those have come in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings.

Miguel Cabrera hit a two-run homer on Tuesday to help the Tigers rally from a seventh-inning deficit and win 6-5.

"We need to score runs early in the game," said Cabrera, who's still only hitting .213 in his first season in Detroit. "Don't want to wait until seventh, eighth inning ... it's tough that way."

While the Tigers' offense has been getting better, the Indians' is still struggling. Cleveland is hitting just .241 through 14 games, second-worst in the AL.

The Indians played their ninth game of the season with four runs or fewer on Tuesday, losing 5-3 to Boston.

"Hopefully, we'll be consistent soon," said shortstop Jhonny Peralta, who is hitting .255 with a team-high three homers. "Because I know we've got a lot of guys here who can do better than that."

Detroit was originally slated to send left-hander Dontrelle Willis to the mound, but he was placed on the 15-day DL on Saturday due to a hyperextended knee.

Right-hander Armando Galarraga (0-0, 0.00) will be recalled from Triple-A Toledo to make his second start in the majors.

Galarraga, who was acquired from Texas in February, won each of his first two starts in Toledo, allowing three runs on seven hits over 12 innings. In three appearances with the Rangers last season, he had a 6.23 ERA without receiving a decision.

The Indians won six of nine at home against Detroit last season.