Kluber in command as Indians rout Tigers
Corey Kluber won for the fifth time in his last six starts, Erik Gonzalez smashed a three-run double, and the Cleveland Indians manhandled the Detroit Tigers 9-2 on Sunday afternoon.
Kluber held the Tigers to two runs on five hits and struck out eight in eight innings. Kluber also stretched his streak without issuing a walk to 43 1/3 innings.
Kluber (10-2) is 8-2 in his last 13 starts against the Tigers. Cleveland won two out of three games in the weekend series between the American League Central Division rivals.
Melky Cabrera had two hits, two runs scored and three RBIs, while Francisco Lindor and Lonnie Chisenhall each supplied three hits and scored twice. Yan Gomes added his eighth homer of the season.
Leonys Martin led the Tigers with a solo homer and two RBIs. Artie Lewicki (0-2) took the loss while giving up three runs on six hits in five innings.
Cleveland took a 2-0 lead in the second. Lindor smacked his first hit of the series, stole second and advanced on catcher John Hicks' throwing error. Yonder Alonso ripped a ground-rule double to left-center and moved to third on a ground ball. Alonso scored on Cabrera's sacrifice fly.
Kluber retired the first six batters he faced. Detroit then scored in the third on Hicks' leadoff single, a double by JaCoby Jones and Martin's RBI groundout.
Cabrera's second sacrifice fly of the game came with the bases loaded in the fourth and brought home Lindor.
Cleveland took total command in the fifth with Gonzalez's bases-clearing double to make it 6-1. Chisenhall had a one-out single against reliever Drew VerHagen and Cabrera followed with a double. Roberto Perez was a hit by a pitch before Gonzalez's long drive to center.
Martin crushed his ninth homer of the season in the bottom of the inning.
The Indians scored three runs in the eighth on Cabrera's RBI single and Gomes' second homer in as many games.
--Field Level Media