1) They open a three-game series tonight at Cleveland, which is 3-17 in its past 20 games. Sounds like an easy assignment until you remember the Royals were riding a 3-15 stretch into their first series against the Tigers this month. Detroit had won six straight but wound up getting swept.

2) Edwin Jackson, who is 2-2 with a 6.03 ERA in his past five starts, pitches for the Tigers tonight, opposite Cleveland’s Aaron Laffey (7-6, 4.09 ERA). Tigers pitching coach Rick Knapp told the Detroit Free Press he believes Jackson has been tipping his pitches. Knapp, the former Twins minor-league pitching coordinator, describes other mechanical things they are working on with Jackson, but sometimes pitchers hit a wall, and Jackson has thrown a career-high 195 innings.

2.5) On Wednesday, it’s Rick Porcello (13-9, 4.22) vs. Cleveland’s Justin Masterson (4-8, 4.49). Thursday is another night game, and holy mismatch: Justin Verlander (16-9, 3.44) vs. Carlos Carrasco (0-2, 9.64). In this piece, Free Press beat writer John Lowe lists several reasons the Tigers can hold on to win the division.

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