In 2007, when the Indians held off the Tigers for the AL Central title, Cleveland's Victor Martinez and Jhonny Peralta combined for 12 homers against Detroit. Now, they are on the other side of the rivalry, and both are thriving. In the past seven games, Martinez and Peralta have combined to hit .500 (25-for-50) with seven doubles, six homers and 22 RBI. The switch-hitting Martinez, in particular, is a perfect fit for Detroit's lineup, because he offers protection for Miguel Cabrera.
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Scouts believe Cleveland will stumble eventually, since several players have outperformed expectations. The Indians have been a great story. They have the majors' youngest pitching staff, at 26.3 years old, but rank fourth in the AL with a 3.49 ERA.
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With Jake Peavy back from the disabled list, the White Sox are using a six-man rotation as they trudge through a 20-game stretch without an off day. The stretch began Friday, and with former Twins righthander Phil Humber improving to 3-3 with a 3.18 ERA, he is showing no signs of giving up his rotation spot soon.
