No help from their friends, or the Twins either

If you want something done right, do it yourself.

Or so the saying goes.

The Indians will get a chance to do just that beginning tonight at Jacobs Field as they begin a three-game series against the Tigers, who come into town 4 ½ games behind the Tribe and 5 back in the loss column.

The Twins proved to be of no help this past weekend, losing three to the Tigers by a total of five runs while leaving runners all over the bases. They left ‘em loaded in the eighth and the ninth against the Tigers on Sunday, for example, while losing 6-4.

So the Tigers arrive for the series of the year having won five straight, 10 of 12 and 11 of 15.

The Indians, meanwhile, have split their last four games, but have won 10 of their last 15 and have pretty much been keeping pace with the Tigers during their current torrid stretch.

Cleveland has won 9 of the 15 games the teams have played against each other this season. The teams split a two-game series in Detroit in mid-August, the last time they faced each other.

When this series concludes, the Tribe will have three more at home against Oakland and then play seven on the road against Seattle and Kansas City to end the season. The Tigers will go home after they leave the Jake Wednesday for three against Kansas City and three more against the Twins. They’ll end the season on the road against the White Sox.

Buckle up and enjoy the ride because it looks like this race may last well into the last week of the season.

The Detroit Free Press has a series of articles on its Web site about the series today.

In one, the paper gives Asdrubal Cabrera the lion's share of the credit for the Indians' ability to put some space between themselves and the Tigers.

The paper also poses an interesting question. Who would you rather have in centerfield, Grady Sizemore or Curtis Granderson?

According to the paper, the stats tilt slightly in Granderson's favor, while the scouts give a slight nod to Grady.

The paper also asked one of the league's other elite centerfielders - Tori Hunter - who he thinks is better. Read the article to find out who he chooses, but let's just say we don't like the Twins much anyway.

In addition, two other baseball men chime in, in a story the Free Press lifted from the Boston Globe.