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Tigers win 11th straight, top Indians in 14 innings

Aug 8, 2013 - 5:53 AM Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) - Prince Fielder stroked a go-ahead two-run double in the top of the 14th inning to lift the Detroit Tigers to their 11th straight victory with a 6-5 triumph over the Cleveland Indians in the third contest of a four-game series at Progressive Field.

Austin Jackson started the frame with a double off Bryan Shaw (2-3) before moving to third on Torii Hunter's fly out to right.

After an intentional walk to Hernan Perez, Marc Rzepczynski entered from the bullpen and got Fielder in an 0-2 hole before the lefty slugger scorched a double into the gap in left-center field to bring home both runners.

"I just left a pitch up," Rzepczynski said. "If I go back out there I'd probably throw a fastball in. It's one of those where he's seen me a lot of times when I was in St. Louis. He knew a slider was coming and I left it up."

Jeremy Bonderman (2-3) spun three scoreless innings of one-hit ball in relief to notch the victory, his first as a Tiger since Sept. 8, 2010. Joaquin Benoit secured his 14th save of the season, despite giving up a run in the bottom of the 14th.

"These guys have done a lot of work here, but I'm just trying to fit in," Bonderman said. "I'm just trying to contribute in any way and get this team back to the playoffs."

Miguel Cabrera clubbed a two-run homer and Jackson added a solo shot for the Tigers, who are riding their longest winning streak since a 12-game spurt from Sept. 2-14, 2011.

Nick Swisher collected three hits, including a pair of RBI doubles, while Yan Gomes smacked a solo homer and finished with two RBI for Cleveland, which had won 10 of 11 before dropping the first three games of this series. The Indians trail the Tigers by six games in the AL Central.

Cleveland starter Danny Salazar was the story for much of the night, as the young right-hander, making just his second big league start, struck out 10 and carried a 3-2 lead into the eighth inning.

Salazar retired the first two hitters in the eighth before Hunter laced a single to center to keep the frame alive.

Cabrera, who had fanned all three times against Salazar, then crushed a first- pitch fastball deep into straightaway center field to put the Tigers on top.

Cleveland countered in the home half, as Michael Brantley and Carlos Santana started the frame with back-to-back doubles to put men on second and third.

After Ryan Raburn fanned, Gomes grounded out sharply to short, allowing Brantley to race home for the game-tying run.

Detroit loaded the bases with one out in the top of the ninth, but Rich Hill flied out Jackson and Hunter to escape the frame unscathed.

Cleveland made things interesting in the home half of the 14th, as Mike Aviles kept the frame alive with a two-out single to left. Michael Bourn followed with a double to right to score Aviles to make it a one-run game.

Bourn moved to third on Benoit's wild pitch, but Drew Stubbs went down swinging to end the contest.

The Tigers drew first blood in the second, when Jose Iglesias looped a single into shallow right-center field with the bases loaded and two outs. Victor Martinez scored easily on the play, but Bourn fired a strike to the plate to nab Brayan Pena and end the inning.

Cleveland pulled ahead in the third, which started with Gomes' blast into the left-field seats. After Aviles fanned, Bourn walked and raced home on Swisher's double off the base of the wall in left-center to make it 2-1.

Salazar retired nine straight after Iglesias' RBI single in the second, but Jackson led off the sixth with a drive over the wall in left to tie the game.

After Salazar stranded a runner on third in the seventh, the Indians pulled ahead in the home half against Detroit reliever Al Alburquerque.

Aviles started the frame with a double to left and moved to third on Bourn's groundout to first. Swisher then scorched a double off the top of the wall in right-center to make it 3-2.

Game Notes

Bonderman, who pitched for Detroit from 2003-2010, was signed as a free agent on July 14 of this season after spending most of the year with Seattle ... Bourn recorded his sixth outfield assist of the season ... Detroit starter Doug Fister allowed two runs on seven hits while striking out eight over six innings ... Salazar surrendered four runs on seven hits over 7 2/3 frames ... Prior to the game, Detroit released right-hander Jose Valverde ... Cleveland finished 2-for-15 with runners in scoring position and left nine on base.