(Sports Network) -- When the Detroit Tigers acquired Dontrelle Willis this past winter, the club wasn't banking on the once-successful pitcher being winless entering the final week of this season.

That's the scenario the once-heralded pitcher faces, however, when the takes the mound for the Tigers today against the Cleveland Indians, who will be seeking a sixth straight victory and a sweep of a three-game series between these American League Central foes.

Willis had compiled a 68-54 record, including a stellar 22-win campaign in 2005, in five seasons with the Florida Marlins before being shipped to Detroit along with slugger Miguel Cabrera in a blockbuster eight-player trade on December 5. Things haven't gone as planned for either the Tigers or the talented left-hander since the deal, however.

The two-time All-Star was sidelined by a knee injury early on in the season and was banished to the minors shortly after being shelled for eight runs in just 1 2/3 innings during a loss to the Indians on June 9. Willis was not recalled by the Tigers until rosters expanded in September.

He made his big-league return on Monday, allowing two runs in a five-inning no-decision at Texas. Willis did walk five batters in that game, however, and has issued a whopping 26 free passes in 16 1/3 innings for the year.

The 26-year-old had made two previous starts against Cleveland prior to that June disaster and is 0-2 with a 7.43 ERA lifetime versus the Tribe.

While Willis has struggled mightily all year long, Indians rookie Scott Lewis has enjoyed nothing but success during his brief tenure in the majors.

A third-round selection by Cleveland in the 2004 draft, Lewis made his long- awaited debut in the bigs on September 10 and certainly made the most of the opportunity. The 24-year-old yielded just three hits and walked none over eight shutout innings to defeat Baltimore at Camden Yards.

Lewis was equally as sharp in Monday's 3-1 home victory over Minnesota, as the Ohio State product fired six shutout frames and struck out five batters.

Cleveland received a strong showing from another young left-hander on Saturday, when Jeremy Sowers threw six solid innings to help the Indians to a 6-3 victory over Detroit.

Sowers (4-8) earned the win after allowing one run on five hits, while fanning three and walking a pair. He got good support from Shin-Soo Choo and Asdrubal Cabrera, both of whom knocked in a pair of runs on the evening.

Curtis Granderson had a two-run homer and Magglio Ordonez drove in a run for Detroit, which has dropped eight of its last nine. Starting pitcher Justin Verlander (10-17) was touched for four runs on five hits in four innings to suffer the loss.

Cleveland owns a 10-7 advantage on the Tigers in this year's season series and has taken five of its eight meetings with Detroit at Progressive Field in 2008.