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Indians continue quest for AL Central title against A's

The Cleveland Indians try to move one step closer to their first AL Central title since 2001 this evening when they open a three-game series with the Oakland Athletics at Jacobs Field.

Thanks to a three-game sweep over the Detroit Tigers earlier this week, the Tribe have reduced their magic number for clinching the division to three. Cleveland has won five of six and nine of its last 11 to up its lead in the Central to 7 1/2 games over the Detroit Tigers.

The Indians are also a half-game back of the AL West-leading Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for the best record in all of baseball.

Taking the hill for the Tribe tonight will be Cy Young Award candidate right- hander Fausto Carmona, who has won his last three starts. Carmona was sensational against the Kansas City Royals on Saturday, holding them to three hits over eight scoreless innings to run his record to 17-8, while lowering his earned run average to 3.07.

Carmona, who was just 1-10 last season, has split his two starts against the A's this season and has pitched to a 7.31 ERA against them in four games, three of which were starts.

Oakland will pin its hopes tonight on right-hander Joe Blanton, who is 14-9 with a 3.78 ERA. Blanton won his third straight start on Saturday against Texas, giving up three runs and five hits in seven innings.

Blanton has faced the Tribe four times and is 1-2 against them with a 4.26 ERA.

Oakland, meanwhile, is in danger of finishing below .500 for the first time since 1998 and enters tonight's tilt riding a four-game losing streak after dropping all three games of its series with Seattle.

Cleveland has won four of its seven matchups with the A's this season after losing six of nine to them a year ago. Oakland, though, has dropped three of four at Jacobs Field.

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