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Balk-off: Indians sweep Tigers in extras

May 22, 2014 - 12:35 AM Cleveland, OH (SportsNetwork.com) - Al Alburquerque's bases-loaded balk in the bottom of the 13th inning allowed Asdrubal Cabrera to score the winning run, as the Cleveland Indians completed a three-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers with an 11-10 victory at Progressive Field.

After Alex Avila's homer off Josh Tomlin (3-1) in the top of the 13th gave Detroit a 10-9 lead, the Indians got going in the bottom of the inning.

Michael Aviles began Cleveland's half of the frame with a single off Phil Coke (0-1). Michael Bourn then sacrificed him to second and Cabrera was hit by a pitch before Michael Brantley's single to left plated Aviles with the tying run.

David Murphy, who forced extra innings with a two-run ninth-inning homer, then grounded out to move the runners up and force Coke from the game in favor of Alburquerque, who intentionally walked pinch-hitter Yan Gomes before balking on a 1-0 offering to Ryan Rayburn.

"I don't even know where to start with that game," Murphy said. "I don't really know if that was a baseball game or a marathon combined with a circus."

Murphy finished with two hits and four RBI. Brantley went 4-for-7 with three RBI, two runs scored and two stolen bases for the Tribe, who overcame a four- run first-inning deficit against one of the best pitchers in baseball.

Tigers starter Max Scherzer gutted out seven innings in his worst start of the season to give the Tigers a shot at the win. The right-hander overcame a rough first few innings and was charged with a season-high seven runs on 12 hits, striking out five and walking two.

He left the game with a shot at the win, but Joe Nathan's blown save ruined that chance.

With the Tigers leading 9-7 in the ninth, Brantley roped a one-out single and set the table for Murphy, who drove a 1-0 pitch from Nathan over the wall in right-center to tie the game.

Nathan responded by retiring the next two batters, however, to limit the damage.

Victor Martinez had three hits, including a homer, drove in two runs and scored three times for the Tigers, who ended a nine-game road trip 6-3.

J.D. Martinez added a two-run homer and drove in three runs for Detroit, which got going early.

Detroit jumped on Cleveland starter Zach McAllister for four runs in the first inning. Miguel Cabrera lifted a sac fly to plate the first run and Victor Martinez's base hit scored the second run before J.D. Martinez's two-run homer.

Cleveland got a run back in the home half of the inning when Murphy's sac fly scored Bourn, then took the lead during a rare five-run second inning against Scherzer, who had allowed only 12 runs over his first nine starts before Wednesday.

Aviles doubled home the first run of the inning and later scored with Bourn on a Brantley base hit. Brantley stole second and scored on a double by Murphy, who later came across the plate for the final run of the frame and a 6-4 lead when Nick Swisher singled.

Scherzer had allowed only six runs over his last 39 innings entering the game.

"They came out with a great plan, attacked me pretty good," Scherzer said. "They whacked me around."

Detroit got a run back in the third when Victor Martinez homered, but Cleveland answered in the bottom of the inning on Lonnie Chisenhall's solo homer.

Detroit tied the game in the fifth. Austin Jackson's sac fly plated Cabrera with the first run of the frame and Nick Castellanos' double scored Victor Martinez to knot the contest at 7-7.

The Tigers took the lead in the eighth. Ian Kinsler began the inning with a base hit, moved to second on a Don Kelly walk and scored on an Asdrubal Cabrera error on a potential double-play grounder off the bat of Victor Martinez.

The Cleveland shortstop missed a throw from second baseman Aviles, allowing Kinsler to come home from second and Kelly to move to third. J.D. Martinez followed with a base hit to score Kelly for a 9-7 edge.

McAllister was charged with five runs -- four earned -- on five hits in two- plus innings of work. He struck out two and walked two.

Castellanos had three hits.

Game Notes

Miguel Cabrera and Detroit manager Brad Ausmus were ejected in the sixth inning for arguing strikes ... Brantley has an 18-game home hitting streak ... Detroit lost a challenge to end the sixth inning, as replays confirmed that Victor Martinez was out at first on a grounder to second ... Victor Martinez now has 12 homers this season ... J.D. Martinez's HR was his second of the year ... Chisenhall's blast was his first of the season ... Scherzer's ERA went from 1.83 to 2.59.