Cleveland Indians give spot start to Ryan Merritt in series finale against Detroit Tigers

Indians @ Tigers

Thursday, September 29, 2016, 1:10 PM ET, Comerica Park

TV: MLBTV, STO

Radio: WTAM

Let's face it, this game means a little more to the Tigers than to the Indians. Sure, the Tribe wants to win, but the Tigers are fighting like crazy for a Wild Card bid, while the Indians are already locked in as AL Central champs. But hey, a victory today would sure be sweet.

The Indians will start Ryan Merritt on the mound this afternoon. The rookie left-hander has allowed one run over six big league innings. He was 11-8 with a 3.70 ERA over 24 starts with Triple-A Columbus. Merritt won't overpower, as he struck out just 91 batters over 143 1/3 innings with the Clippers, relying instead on plus command.

Detroit will start a young lefty as well, turning to Daniel Norris. The 23-year-old former top prospect came over in a trade from Toronto last year and owns a 3.59 ERA over 12 starts this season. He faced off against the Indians September 18th, earning the win after allowing one run over five innings.