Indians regroup, beat Tigers

Brantley drives in 5 as Cleveland holds off rally

The Indians' Jason Kipnis, right, congratulates Michael Brantley after Brantley hit a two-run home run off the Tigers’ Al Alburquerque in the eighth.

CLEVELAND — The Indians were down, in danger, and nearing doom.

They never buckled. They fought back.

"We've got that never-say-die attitude," first baseman Nick Swisher said. "The good teams pick each other up, and the bad teams pick each other apart."

Michael Brantley hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning off Al Alburquerque as Cleveland, which blew a big lead, ended a seven-game skid against Detroit with a 9-6 win Sunday to trim one game off the first-place Tigers' lead in the AL Central.

Brantley, who hit a solo homer in the sixth and had a career-high five RBIs, drove a 3-1 pitch from Alburquerque (1-2) over the wall in right field as the Indians, a team capable of streaking in any direction at any time, recovered after their bullpen couldn't protect a 6-1 lead against one of baseball's best lineups.

Detroit, which overpowered Cleveland in winning the first two games of the four-game series, had rallied to tie it 6-all in the eighth on Torii Hunter's three-run homer off Vinnie Pestano.

But the Indians didn't quit. It's not their style.

"The boys came out and punched back," Pestano said. "They didn't hang their heads. It's the personality we've got. It's the closeness of this group."

Cody Allen (4-1) got one out in the eighth, and closer Chris Perez, who recently came off the disabled list, gave up a single in the ninth before getting his ninth save — a save the Indians had to have.

"That one would have been a tough one to go home today if we had lost," Indians manager Terry Francona said.

Detroit had its five-game winning streak snapped and missed a chance to open a 4½-game lead over the second-place Indians, who can split the series today if they can beat unbeaten Max Scherzer (13-0).

Carlos Santana hit a two-run homer, and Lonnie Chisenhall added a solo shot as the Indians beat the Tigers for just the fourth time in 15 games.

Hunter had four RBIs, and Miguel Cabrera homered and had four hits for the Tigers, who took little solace in a comeback that came up a little short.

"We were able to tie the game and give ourselves a chance, but at the same time we lost," Hunter said. "Wins, that's all that matters. No matter what you do, late-inning production, I don't give a doggone ... wins."

Before Brantley's shot, the Indians were in peril of losing a game that could have haunted them for months.

They had finally gone toe-to-toe with the All-Star loaded Tigers, who shut them out 7-0 on Friday and hammered them again 9-4 on Saturday. Cleveland built a 6-1 lead and got a quality start from Corey Kluber, only to have its bullpen waste it.

Down five runs and unable to do much against Kluber, the Tigers stormed back by scoring twice in the seventh and tying it when Hunter, 0 for 7 with three strikeouts in his career against Pestano, drove a 2-1 pitch onto the pedestrian patio in left.

The shot drained the life from Indians fans, but pumped up Detroit rooters, who filled Progressive Field with chants of "Let's Go Tigers!"

Cabrera and Prince Fielder followed Hunter's homer with singles, and Francona, without a lefty available in the bullpen because Rich Hill pitched the previous four games, pulled Pestano. Allen came in and threw a wild pitch but was able to keep it knotted by striking out Victor Martinez.

After being manhandled for the second straight game, the Indians, at the urging of designated hitter and elder statesman Jason Giambi, had a team meeting Saturday. While none of the players provided much detail about what was said, the session seemed to work.

"Sometimes you go through spells," Swisher said. "We kind of got together and hashed everything out. I feel like we came to the ballpark today ready to go."