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Tigers take control early, rout Indians

Sep 7, 2011 - 4:26 AM Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) - Rick Porcello was solid on the hill and the Tigers scored five two-out runs in the first inning and never looked back, furthering their stranglehold on the AL Central with a 10-1 drubbing of the Indians.

The Tigers, winners of five straight, hold an 8 1/2-game lead over third- place Cleveland and can complete a demoralizing three-game sweep with 21- game winner Justin Verlander on the bump Wednesday afternoon.

Porcello (13-8), who didn't make it out of the fourth inning in two outings against Cleveland in August, was Verlander-like on Tuesday, giving up just one run and three hits over 6 1/3 innings.

Miguel Cabrera had three of Detroit's 15 hits while scoring twice and knocking in a run. Victor Martinez went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBI in the blowout.

Fausto Carmona (6-14) had his shortest outing of the season at the most inopportune time, getting rocked for seven runs on eight hits while recording just four outs.

"This was a series that we needed to win. It puts us in a pretty bad spot right now," Indians manager Manny Acta said. "We're going to need a lot of help."

Carmona actually retired the first two hitters he faced before Delmon Young worked a five-pitch walk. Cabrera then singled, and a balk put two runners in scoring position.

The floodgates opened from there, starting with Martinez hitting a comebacker through Carmona's legs and into center field to bring in a pair. The next four batters recorded base hits, with Jhonny Peralta, Don Kelly and Ramon Santiago each driving in a run.

"Two-out hits are golden and we got a bunch of those early on," said Tigers manager Jim Leyland, whose club also holds a healthy eight-game advantage over the White Sox.

Detroit tacked on three more in the second, with Andy Dirks doubling and scoring on Cabrera's one-hopper to the wall in right-center, which ended Carmona's night. Chad Durbin was hardly a relief for Cleveland, walking a pair to load the bases and uncorking a wild pitch that scored Cabrera.

Peralta's sacrifice fly made it 8-0.

The support was more than enough for Porcello, who had retired 13 straight before Kosuke Fukudome led off the seventh with a home run for Cleveland's only offensive highlight.

The visitors tacked on two more in the eighth for good measure, as Austin Jackson crossed the plate on a Cabrera double play prior to Martinez singling in Dirks to cap the outburst.

Game Notes

Detroit has won the last six meetings against its division rival, including three straight at Progressive Field after having lost 12 in a row there...Cabrera has reached base safely in 33 consecutive games...Each Tigers starter had at least one hit...Jason Kipnis, playing his first game since August 12 because of a hamstring strain and oblique soreness, had one of the Indians' four hits...The Indians will counter Verlander with Justin Masterson on Wednesday.