Indians Vs. Tigers Final Score: Another Nail-biter Goes The Tribe's Way As Indians Sweep Detroit, 5-4

The way the three games with the Detroit Tigers played out this weekend, a couple of things became apparent.

One is that the Indians have some moxie. In all three games against the Tigers, the Indians trailed, and in all three, were able to come back and win. It is one thing to win easily, as the Tribe did against Kansas City earlier this week; it is quite another to win the close games, and to win them consistently.

The second thing that became apparent is that — no matter their record right now — Detroit is going to have to be taken seriously, regardless of the weekend just past.

Today, at Progressive Field, the Indians swept their fifth series of the season, won their 13th straight home game, and stretched their winning streak to six by coming from behind in the eighth inning with three runs, then surviving a Tigers’ rally in the ninth to win 5-4.

Once again, as they did on Friday, Detroit struck for two runs in their first at-bat. After Will Rhymes led off the game with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice, Don Kelly delivered a double to left, and just like that, the Tigers led 1-0.

After Miguel Cabrera was intentionally walked, Kelly moved to third on a fielder’s choice grounder and scored on a passed ball, giving Detroit a pair of runs off of Justin Masterson before the Indians came to bat.

It remained 2-0 until the bottom of the second. In that frame, after the first two were retired, Orlando Cabrera and Michael Brantley singled, and Matt LaPorta came through with a double, driving both runners home and tying the game.

It remained that way until the eighth, although both teams had chances in the five scoreless innings that ensued. In the bottom of the seventh the Tribe got a runner to third with one out and could not score.

In the eighth, Detroit regained the lead.

Masterson — trying to move to 6-0 — was still in the game and saw Kelly single leading off, then hit Miguel Cabrera with a pitch, putting two on and with nobody out.

Rafael Perez came on, ending Masterson’s day after 121 pitches. Perez struck out Brennan Boesch, but Ryan Raburn singled, loading the bases, and Alex Avila delivered the go-ahead run with a sac fly, giving Detroit a 3-2 lead.

Chad Durbin came on and got one big out, striking out Brandon Inge, and we moved to the bottom of the eighth.

Joaquin Benoit — the loser on Friday night — came on for the Tigers and immediately got into trouble when Shin-Soo Choo singled to shallow right. After Carlos Santana — Friday’s hero against Benoit — flied out, Shelley Duncan was hit by a pitch, putting runners on first and second.

Then Orlando Cabrera came through with a base-hit, scoring Choo to tie the game and sending Duncan to second.

That brought Michael Brantley to the plate, and Brantley delivered a go-ahead single, scoring Duncan, with Cabrera going to third on the throw to the plate. And finally, LaPorta delivered a huge insurance run with a sacrifice fly, giving the Indians a 5-3 lead heading to the ninth.

On came Chris Perez, and things got interesting.

Austin Jackson led off with an infield single, but was unable to advance when Rhymes filed out deep to center. But Ramon Santiago got the job done and then some, drawing a walk to put two aboard with one out.

After Kelly popped out for the second out, Miguel Cabrera came through (as he seemed to all series) with an RBI single, making it 5-4 Cleveland and sending Santiago to third.

But finally, Chris Perez was able to close the deal, getting Boesch to fly out to center to end it and send the Indians into their day off before another road trip at eleven games above .500, at 19-8, and still 4 1/2 games up on Kansas City.

Chad Durbin gets the win to move to 1-1, and Chris Perez earned his seventh save of the year, while — for the second time in three days — Benoit took the loss, dropping to 0-2.

Justin Masterson, although he did not get the victory, kept the Indians in the game after falling behind early.

Masterson surrendered three runs, but only two earned, in seven innings, allowing seven hits, walking two and striking out seven.

The Indians will now head to the West Coast to take on Oakland for three games beginning Tuesday night,  before continuing on to Anaheim for their second road series against the Los Angeles Angels in 2011.

Indians Look To Masterson To Complete Perfect Homestand At 1:05

The Indians just finished the most winning April in their history, going 18-8 to open up a 4 1/2 game lead in the Central Division, and leaving two of their division rivals (the Twins and the White Sox) already nine games behind.

What will May bring?

We begin to find out this afternoon at 1:05 at Progressive Field, when the Tribe tries to finish a 6-0 homestand against the Detroit Tigers, and win their sixth in a row, as Justin Masterson also tries to go 6-0 for the season against the Tigers’ Phil Coke (1-4, 4.88 ERA).

Masterson has been perfect this year, winning all five of his starts for Cleveland, and will try to match Cliff Lee’s 6-0 start to 2008. Masterson’s last two victories came against the Royals, and in his last start, he went 6 2/3 innings and surrendered five hits and three runs, while fanning seven.

For his career, Masterson has made six appearances against Detroit, including three starts, and is 0-2 with a 6.10 ERA in 20 2/3 innings worked.

Coke has been roughed up in his last two starts — both losses to the Mariners, In those two games, Coke went a total of eight innings and gave up nine earned runs as well as 14 hits.

During his career Coke has faced the Tribe eleven times, all in relief. In 8 2/3 innings, Coke has compiled a 2.08 ERA against Cleveland.

The Indians will be attempting to earn their fifth sweep of a three-game series this season in today’s game, and for their fourth straight sweep at home. Cleveland has not lost at home since April 2.

Detroit, on the other hand, will be trying to avoid their second consecutive sweep, after losing three games at home to Seattle earlier this week and the first two games to the Tribe. The Tigers’ losing streak has dropped them to 12-15 and to 6 1/2 games behind the Indians, after Detroit had got to within a game-and-a-half of the Tribe after games of last Sunday.

After this afternoon’s game Cleveland will be off tomorrow before opening a six-game road trip on Tuesday night in Oakland: a trip that will once again take the Indians to Anaheim for three against the Angels next weekend.

Let’s get ready to hit the road again in style, and move to 19-8

Indians Vs. Tigers Final Score: Orlando Cabrera's Walk-Off Single Wins It In 13; Tribe Improves To 18-8

What can you say about the Indians’ game tonight against the Detroit Tigers?

Could you say that the Indians struck out 17 times? Yes, you could say that. In fact, three separate Indians struck out three times apiece.

Could you say that Alex White, making his big-league debut for the Tribe, looked truly impressive, and that he hung tough even after the Tigers blasted two home runs off of him in the fourth inning, and that he then gutted his way through six innings and 109 pitches and should be given at least another start? Yes, you could say that too.

Could you say that the Cleveland bullpen was literally brilliant tonight, with seven scoreless innings pitched by five different relievers, in which only five hits and a walk were allowed? Oh yes, you could say that, and it would be the single most important thing to say about this game, because without that kind of bullpen work, the Indians aren’t batting in the bottom of the 13th.

Could you even say that a tip of the cap is due to the Detroit bullpen as well? Yes, that bullpen deserves plaudits, and especially Al Alburquerque, who pitched three perfect innings and struck out six.

But all that matters, when all is said and done, is the bottom of the 13th.

After 12 1/2 innings in which the only runs in the game were scored on solo home runs — one each for Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera and Ryan Raburn, and one each for Cleveland’s Carlos Santana and Michael Brantley (Brantley’s first of the season) — the Indians found a way to win without needing a ball to leave the yard.

In the decisive half-inning, Brantley singled to right, and then took second on an errant pickoff attempt from Tigers’ reliever Brayan Villarreal. Asdrubal Cabrera then laid down a sacrifice bunt to get Brantley to third, and Jim Leyland went back to the strategy that eventually backfired on him last night: Leyland intentionally walked the bases full. Last night he pulled the strategy and got an out, before Carlos Santana hit his game-ending grand slam.

Tonight, after the Tigers walked Shin-Soo Choo and Santana, Orlando Cabrera, needing only a sac fly or a slow roller somewhere in the infield — even a walk would do — blasted a long single to center (as a single was the only possible hit in that situation besides a homer), and the Indians had won again at home, to continue a run at Progressive Field that began on April 3, in the first series of the season.

The winning pitcher, with two innings of scoreless relief, was Tony Sipp (1-0, 2.08 ERA). But Sipp was only the last of a string of bullpen aces tonight.

After starter White was pulled after six, Joe Smith pitched a perfect seventh, fanning two. Vinnie Pestano came on in the eighth and gave up a hit and an intentional walk to Miguel Cabrera (who was walked three times tonight, in a great show of gamesmanship by Manny Acta despite Cabrera’s solo homer), but Pestano escaped unscathed.

The Chris Perez came on and — as he did last night — pitched a perfect ninth, striking out two.

Rafael Perez followed and went two innings, giving up just two hits and also fanning two, to keep his ERA at 0.00 for the year and setting the stage for Sipp to close it out.

Villarreal (1-1, 4.50) takes the loss for Detroit, which has lost five in a row.

Meanwhile, for the Indians, who have won five in a row overall and who remain 4 1/2 games ahead of second-place Kansas City. White struck out four and allowed only six hits in his six innings of work, including the two Detroit homers. White walked four, but two of those were intentional walks to Miguel Cabrera.

What can you say about the Tribe’s win tonight?

You can say that the dream keeps getting better and better.

Tomorrow at 1:05, Justin Masterson will try to go 6-0 on the season and give Cleveland its second straight sweep on this homestand.

Until then, we can all dream well tonight.

Alex White Makes His Major League Debut; Indians Go For 12 In A Row At Home

The Indians, after their stirring rally and walk-off grand slam from Carlos Santana last night, take on the Tigers again this evening at 6:05 at Progressive Field. seeking their twelfth straight win at home, and trying to extend their franchise-record for wins in April to 18.

Alex White will be making his major league debut in this one for Cleveland. White was 1-0 with a 1.90 ERA for AAA Columbus, and has been added to the roster — along with last night’s starter, Jeanmar Gomez — due to injuries to starters Mitch Talbot and Carlos Carrasco. White is the Indians’ top pitching prospect, and perhaps, with a good outing tonight, he could become more than a prospect.

Detroit counters with Rick Porcello (1-2, 4.76 ERA). Porcello is perfect in his career against the Indians, going 4-0 with a 2.28 ERA in seven starts versus the Tribe, and is 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA at Progressive Field, In each of his four starts in Cleveland, Porcello has allowed only one run, so it will not be easy tonight for the Indians to move to 18-8.

Porcello surrendered 10 runs in 10 innings and lost his first two starts of the year, but in his last two starts, versus the Mariners and the Athletics, Porcello has allowed only two runs in 12 2/3 innings, and beat Seatlle in his last start on April 20.

On the year, Porcello has struck out 16 and walked six in 22 2/3 innings, and has allowed 29 hits. For his career, Porcello has a mark of 25-23 and an ERA of 4.45 in 62 games, all of which have been starts.

To make room on the roster, Frank Herrmann was sent back down to Columbus, and Jess Todd was dropped from the 40-man roster.

Indians Vs. Tigers Final: Indians Battle Back With 3 Homers, Santana Ends 9-5 Victory With Grand Slam

Unfortunately Chad Durbin — after the Indians had drawn within a run — immediately started the seventh by allowing back-to-back singles to Miguel Cabrera and Brennan Boesch, and Jo Smith came on for the Tribe.

Smith got Ryan Raburn to ground out, but both runners moved up, and then old friend Jhonny Peralta deliverd an RBI single to make it 4-2. Alex Avila then hit a sac fly, and the Tigers had gotten the two runs the Tribe scored in the sixth right back.

Detroit went to the seventh-inning stretch on the plus side of a 5-2 lead, and that deflating sound was probably the sound of the wind going out of the Indians’ fans sails for this night, although there were still three innings for the Cleveland bats to try to make some more noise.

With one out in the Tribe seventh, Matt LaPorta went deep to left field to cut it to 5-3, and — all other things being equal — made one wish that Durbin (who has been less than lights out this year) had not opened the top of the seventh.

Jack Hannahan popped up for the second out, but Max Scherzer walked Grady Sizemore, and once again the Indians would bring the tying run to the plate, in the person of Asdrubal Cabrera.

Almost miraculously, Cabrera homered to deep right-center, and after seeming dead in the water only minutes before, the Indians had tied the game at 5-5.

That was all for Scherzer, and Detroit brought on Daniel Schlereth to face Shin-Soo Choo. Choo lined out to left to end the inning, but as some announcers have said in the past, it was a brand-new ballgame.

Vinnie Pestano came on to start the eighth, replacing Joe Smith, who hurled a scoreless frame but did allow two inherited runners to score.

Pestano opened the frame by falling behind 3-1, and then coming back to strike out Austin Jackson. Will Rhymes grounded out for out number two, and Magglio Ordonez grounded out, completing a brilliant — and much-needed — inning for Pestano, who hardly looks like a rookie who had only five major league games under his belt coming into 2011.

In the bottom of the eighth, Carlos Santana grounded out leading off. and Ryan Perry came on for Detroit, replacing Schlereth, who did his job in two-thirds of an inning.

Shelley Duncan — who had driven in the first two runs for the Tribe in the sixth — grounded out as the first batter Perry faced, for the second out of the frame.

On an 0-2 pitch, Orlando Cabrera singled to center, bringing Michael Brantley to the plate. Brantley singled, moving Cabrera to second, and putting the go-ahead run in scoring position for LaPorta, who had homered in the seventh.

After working the count full, LaPorta fanned, and Perry had escaped the jam.

To the ninth we went with the game still deadlocked at 5-5.

Chris Perez came on to start the ninth, and retired the Tigers in three batters, giving the Indians a chance to win the game in walk-off fashion. Now could the Tribe come through?

Joaquin Benoit was the Detroit pitcher in the bottom of the ninth, facing Jack Hannahan leading off. Hannahan singled to center, putting the winning run on, and bringing Sizemore to the plate. Adam Everett came on to run for Hannahan, and Sizmore singled to right, sending Everett to third, putting the winning run now only 90 feet from home and still with nobody out.

Asdrubal Cabrera was walked intentionally, loading the bases and, of course, setting up a force at the plate, as Choo came to the plate.

Maddeningly, Choo struck out swinging, and who should we see coming to bat but Carlos Santana, in a perfect spot to undue the double play and strikeout earlier. All that was needed (as was needed with Choo) was a deep fly ball or a slow grounder to the deep infield.

And Santana blasted a grand slam to end it.

Redemption? Oh YES!!

The winning pitcher in this most-unlikely win is Chris Perez (1-1) while Benoit takes the loss to fall to 1-1, as the Indians win their eleventh straight game at home and move to 17-8. Detroit drops to 12-14 in crushing fashion, as the Tribe moves 5 1/2 games up on the Tigers.

Heroes? Oh, there were heroes tonight in this game which your writer frankly felt the Tribe was going to lose. Carlos Santana, of course, is a hero by coming through in the most exciting possible way. And Vinnie Pestano is a hero for slamming the door in the eighth after the Indians tied the game in the seventh. And Shelley Duncan was a hero, driving in the first two Cleveland runs in the sixth. And Matt LaPorta and Asdrubal Cabrera are both heroes for their seventh-inning blast which brought the Indians all the way back. And Jeanmar Gomez is a hero too, for falling behind in the first inning and continually getting out of trouble through almost six innings to keep the Indians in the game.

This is the kind of win that can define a season, the kind of game the Tribe had no business winning — and yet won. The kind of game when a starting pitcher falls behind immediately, and the opposing pitcher is mowing you down — and you still win.

The Indians take on the Tigers again on Saturday evening at 6:05.

Try to BE there if you can be. This team is worth it.

Indians Strike For Two In The 6th, Still Trail 3-2

In the fourth inning, Ryan Raburn led off with a double for Detroit, moved to third on a ground out and scored on a sacrifice fly from Alex Avila to put the Tigers ahead 3-0. Jeanmar Gomez then gave up another double and a single, putting runners on the corners, before finally getting out of the frame when Will Rhymes lined out.

Shin-Soo Choo singled leading off the Cleveland fourth. This time, Carlos Santana did not hit into a double play — but he did strike out (as SB Nation Cleveland’s Chris Pokorny no doubt pulled out more hair, and this writer was also tempted to). Shelley Duncan then grounded into an inning-ending double play, and things were really beginning to look grim for The Good Guys, as Detroit took their 3-0 lead to the fifth.

Gomez had allowed eight hits through his first four innings, but he was still out there for the fifth frame.

Magglio Ordonez opened the Tigers’ fifth with a single. Miguel Cabrera flied out deep enough to center for Ordonez to take second after the catch and to get into scoring position. Gomez then got Brennan Boesch to fly out and struck out Raburn to get out of trouble…a really nice job by Jeanmar to once again keep the deficit manageable.

The Indians went quietly in the bottom of the fifth, as Orlando Cabrera, Michael Brantley and Matt LaPorta were retired in short order by Scherzer, who came into this season with a career record of 21-26 and is suddenly doing a Cy Young impression.

Scherzer had sailed through five innings on only 66 pitches, and was getting stronger as the game went on, having still allowed only two hits and having struck out six.

Avila singled with one out in the Detroit sixth — the Tigers’ 10th hit of the game — and then Brandon Inge reached on an error by Asdrubal Cabrera, putting runners at first and second. Gomez then got Austin Jackson looking at strike three for the second out, and Gomez was pulled after 97 pitches.

Chad Durbin came on with the responsibility of getting an out and keeping the Indians in the game. Gomez left having surrendered three runs, and even if Detroit scored in the sixth, the error would make any runs charged to Gomez in the inning unearned.

All things considered, Jeanmar did a good job tonight, going almost five innings after allowing the Tigers to jump ahead in the first and holding Detroit to only one more run during the rest of his outing.

Durbin walked Rhymes to load the bases. That brought Ordonez to the plate, and once again put Detroit in the position of being one big swing from just about putting the game about out of reach. But Durbin made the pitch he needed to, getting Ordonez looking for the third out, and (not to be redundant) keeping the game manageable — but time was getting short.

The first two Indians were retired in the bottom of the sixth before Asdrubal Cabrera singled and stole second.

Choo walked and up to the plate stepped Santana, representing the tying run and with a chance to redeem his first two at-bats with one swing,

But Santana walked to load the bases, giving the Indians their best chance of the night and bringing Shelley Duncan to the plate.

Duncan came through, driving in Asdrubal Cabrera and Choo with a single to make it 3-2.

Orlando Cabrera swung at the first pitch and grounded out to end the inning, but at least the Tribe was back in the game, down only a run heading to the seventh.

Early Homer Has Tigers Ahead Of Tribe 2-0 After 3 Innings

Things started out badly for the Indians immediately on both offense and defense tonight.

With two outs in the first, Miguel Cabrera blasted a two-run homer off of Jeanmar Gomez to give Detroit the quick early lead at 2-0, and then, in the bottom of the first, with one out and after Asdrubal Cabrera and Shin-Soo Choo had drawn walks off of Max Scherzer, Carlos Santana hit into an inning-ending double play.

We’ve seen that act quite a few times as of late, haven’t we.

In the second inning, Gomez again got into trouble, when Detroit put runners at second and third with one out, but got a fielder’s choice grounder from Brandon Inge for out number two, as Ryan Raburn was cut down at the plate.. Austin Jackson singled to load the bases and frankly, the game was on the line at that point, with the way Gomez was struggling, having already given up five hits.

And, here at least, Gomez came through, striking out Will Rhymes to keep the score 2-0 Tigers, and to keep the deficit manageable.

In the second, Shelley Duncan collected the first Tribe hit, but the next three batters were retired, as Scherzer, already 4-0 on the season, was looking good for Detroit.

Gomez had a nice third inning, setting the Tigers down in order for the first time tonight. Having thrown 48 pitches thus far, Gomez, if he could keep Detroit in check, was on track to perhaps go six innings.

The Indians also went in order in the third, and going to the fourth, the Miguel Cabrera homer in the first inning was still holding up, as Detroit led 2-0

Indians Begin Three-Game Set Against Detroit Tigers Tonight At 7:05

The Indians, who suddenly find themselves 4 1/2 games ahead of the Detroit Tigers and the Kansas City Royals in the American League Central, take on the Tigers in three games this weekend, with the first game scheduled for 7:05 this evening at Progressive Field.

The Indians are coming off of a three-game sweep of the Royals, while Detroit was just swept at home by the Seattle Mariners, to fall below .500 at 12-13.

The Tribe has had to make some adjustments to their rotation, with the injuries to starters Mitch Talbot and Carlos Carrasco. Thus, Alex White will be making his major league debut on Saturday evening, taking Carrasco's spot, and tonight, Jeanmar Gomez gets the nod against Detroit's Max Scherzer.

Gomez will be making his third appearance of the season for Cleveland, and his second start. Gomez (0-1, 7.36 ERA), started -- and lost -- in his season debut on April 19 in Kansas City. In that game, Gomez went 4 1/3 innings and was knocked around for nine hits and five earned runs in a 5-4 Royals' win. In his next appearance, Gomez came on in relief when Carrasco left last Sunday's start in Minnesota. Gomez, in the 4-3 Twins' victory in which Minnesota came from behind for the win, Gomez gave up one run on three hits in three innings, giving the Tribe a chance to win which was later given away.

On the season so far, Gomez has gone 7 1/3 frames, and has surrendered 12 hits and 6 runs, walking three and striking out four.

In two starts against Detroit last year, Gomez went 1-1 in ten innings with a 4.50 ERA, giving up 15 hits and ten runs -- of which only five were earned.

Scherzer has a third of the Tigers' wins this year, and will be trying to even his career mark at 26-26. In five starts to this point, Scherzer (4-0, 3.19 ERA) has started five times, and has worked 31 innings, giving up 33 hits and 13 walks, putting nearly a runner-and-a-half per inning on base, but has given up only eleven runs. Scherzer has struck out 30, and for his career, in 453 innings, has struck out 454.

Detroit has a low batting average of .246 as a team, ranking 17th in the major leagues. The Tigers are led in hitting by Brennan Boesch, who is batting .350 in 80 at-bats. The team lead in homers belongs to Miguel Cabrera, with five dingers, while Cabrera and Alex Avila each have 16 RBI. Detroit has hit 22 home runs in 25 games.

The Indians, on the other hand, are batting .272 as a team -- 5th in the majors -- led by Grady Sizemore at .390 in 41 at-bats. Among Indians who have been with the squad since Day One of 2011, Travis Hafner leads at .342. Five different Indians have four homers apiece, while three share the team lead with 15 RBI. As a team, Cleveland has smacked 29 home runs in their 24 games.