Indians 9, Tigers 3
Jason Kipnis homered twice and Asdrubal Cabrera went deep during a seven-run seventh inning as visiting Cleveland pounded Detroit.
Trevor Bauer (4-4) allowed three runs on six hits in as many innings to notch the win as the Indians (48-47) moved a game above .500. All-Star Michael Brantley collected four hits, Nick Swisher drove in three runs and Ryan Raburn doubled in one during the seventh-inning rally as Cleveland improved to 9-4 in July.
Anibal Sanchez (6-4) cruised through the first six innings but could not record an out in the seventh and was charged with four runs to absorb the loss. Torii Hunter doubled in a run and scored while All-Star Ian Kinsler added an RBI for the Tigers.
The Indians loaded the bases in the seventh on a walk and two singles before Swisher grounded a hard single through the right side to chop a 3-0 deficit to one run. Detroit brought in left-hander Ian Krol, who surrendered Raburn’s tying double before right-hander Al Alburquerque came on and struck out the first two batters he faced before yielding back-to-back blasts by Kipnis and Cabrera to cap the rally.
Kipnis added a solo shot leading off the ninth and Swisher chipped in an RBI ground-rule double to further put the game out of reach. The Tigers scratched out a run on Kinsler’s sacrifice fly in the third and added two in the fourth, when Hunter delivered an RBI double before stealing third and scoring on the overthrow.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Cleveland recalled RHP C.C. Lee from Triple-A Columbus. … The Tigers will call up RHP Drew VerHagen from Triple-A Toledo for Saturday’s doubleheader, while the Indians will bring up RHP Zach McAllister. … Cleveland CF Michael Bourn (hamstring) is eligible to come off the disabled list on Sunday but will not rejoin the team this weekend as he continues his rehab.