Indians struggle against left-hander Norris

DETROIT — Did anyone just feel a shift in the relationship between the Indians and Tigers? Not a seismic shift to be sure, but a tremor nonetheless.

Last year, the Indians went 14-4 against Detroit on the way to winning the American League Central. Monday night, the Tigers improved to 3-1 against the Indians with a 7-1 victory at Comerica Park. The series record doesn't mean that much at this point of the season, but the way it has been reached does.

Left-hander Daniel Norris (2-2) beat the Indians for the second time in as many starts. He held them to one run on five hits in six

innings. In his two wins against the Indians this year, he's allowed one run in 12 innings.

On Wednesday, the Tigers will send another young lefty to the mound against the Indians. Matthew Boyd is already 1-0 against them this year.

Last year, Norris and Boyd combined to make just nine starts for the Tigers. Should they continue to pitch well this season, along with 2016 AL rookie of the year Michael Fulmer and veterans Justin Verlander and Jordan Zimmerman, those predicting a leisurely stroll for the Indians to the division title might need to adjust their calculations.

The Indians, for those keeping track of such things, are 3-8 in games started by lefthanders this year.

The Tigers hurt Trevor Bauer (2-3) early as Nick Castellanos and Victor Martinez hit ringing doubles in the first inning for a 2-0 lead. Tyler Collins hit a full-count, three-run homer into the bleachers in right center field in the second for a 5-0 lead. No. 9 hitter Jose Iglesias drew a one-out walk, and Ian Kinsler singled to set the table for Collins, who hit Bauer's 94 mph fastball.

In his last start, Bauer beat the Houston Astros even though he allowed four runs on six hits in six innings. The win made him 6-0 lifetime against the Astros, and he credited "random variation" for those gaudy numbers.

There was no random variation involved Monday. Detroit simply worked Bauer over, scoring seven runs on seven hits in four innings. He struck out three and walked a season-high five batters.

Bauer is 0-2 with a 13.00 ERA (13 runs in nine innings) in two starts against the Tigers this year. He's allowed 15 hits and seven walks in those two games. Bauer is 4-5 with a 7.69 ERA in his career against Detroit.