Tigers beat Indians, take 2 out of 3 in series
Detroit takes 1-game lead in AL Central
6/16/2011
Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Mitch Talbot walks back to the dugout as manager Manny Acta (11) and catcher Carlos Santana wait for his relief in the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers in Detroit, Thursday, June 16, 2011.
DETROIT — Jhonny Peralta and Ryan Raburn hit back-to-back, solo homers in the fourth inning, and the Detroit Tigers went on to beat the Cleveland Indians 6-2 Thursday.
The Tigers won twice in the three-game series to move a game ahead of Cleveland in the AL Central. Detroit has won 13 of its last 18 games, while the Indians have lost 16 of 22.
Max Scherzer (9-3) gave up two runs and four hits, walked two and hit two batters over 5 2-3 innings. Al Alburquerque, Joaquin Benoit and Jose Valverde combined to throw 3 1-3 innings of scoreless relief.
Mitch Talbot (2-4) allowed six runs on nine hits and two walks over four innings. Frank Herrmann pitched three innings and Joe Smith threw one without giving up a run, but Cleveland couldn’t come back offensively.
The Indians got off to good start with two runs in the first inning — with some help from Detroit second baseman Ryan Raburn’s throwing error.
They didn’t get anything done at the plate the rest of the game.
Michael Brantley hit a two-out triple and scored on Raburn’s error. Asdrubal Cabrera followed with a double and scored on Shin-Soo Choo’s triple to put the Indians ahead 2-0.
The Tigers quickly tied the game in bottom half of the first.
Austin Jackson led off with a walk, stole second and scored on Don Kelly’s RBI single. Victor Martinez hit a sacrifice fly to make it 2-all.
With two outs, Peralta and Raburn hit homers to put Detroit ahead 4-2.
Miguel Cabrera and Martinez had RBI singles in the fifth to pad the Tigers’ lead.
Notes: Tigers 3B Brandon Inge (mononucleosis) was scheduled to start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Toledo on Thursday and is expected to be activated June 24 against Arizona. ... The Indians are 2-10 at Comerica Park since the start of last season. ... Asdrubal Cabrera made a highlight-worthy, inning-ending double play in the first, catching a liner and making a behind-the-back toss to second baseman Cord Phelps.