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Price, Tigers down Indians

Jun 24, 2015 - 4:28 AM Cleveland, OH (SportsNetwork.com) - Andrew Romine homered and scored twice to back a solid outing from David Price as the Detroit Tigers defeated the Cleveland Indians, 7-3, in the second of three at Progressive Field.

Price (7-2), who entered the game with an 8-1 record in 11 career starts against the Indians, limited the hosts to one run on nine hits with seven strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings.

"I think he battled as his pitch count got up," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said of Price. "He did an excellent job."

The left-hander tossed a shutout in his last outing against Cleveland on June 12 at Comerica Park.

Yoenis Cespedes and Nick Castellanos each had two RBI for the Tigers, who have won three straight.

Jason Kipnis extended his hitting streak to 27 games at home and 18 games overall after a 4-for-5 effort. The Indians have dropped four of their last five.

"We're just going to have to play better baseball," Kipnis said. "It's a matter of going to the ball park each day and going out and doing it."

Cleveland starter Danny Salazar (6-3), who opposed Price in Detroit during his complete game, was victimized on Tuesday night by a crucial error in the fifth that led to a six-run frame.

Romine doubled to left-center to begin the inning, then Salazar issued one-out walks to Rajai Davis and Ian Kinsler that loaded the bases. Miguel Cabrera stepped in and Salazar got the slugger to tap one meekly back to the mound, where Salazar scooped up the grounder but the ball fell out of his hand as he went home for the potential inning-ending 1-2-3 double play.

"He just mishandled it. I don't think he rushed, he just mishandled it," Indians manager Terry Francona said of Salazar's error.

Detroit took advantage of the miscue as Victor Martinez followed with a bloop single to left that scored Davis, and Cespedes ripped a two-run single up the middle for a 5-1 lead. Zach McAllister came on in relief and immediately surrendered a two-run double to Castellanos.

With the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, Roberto Perez grounded into a double play to push a run across, then Kipnis doubled in a run to account for the final margin.

Romine opened the third inning with his second homer of the season to give the Tigers an early lead.

Cleveland responded in the home third, however, as Perez led off with a double into the right-field corner and moved to third on Kipnis' infield single right out in front of home plate. Francisco Lindor sent a liner out to right that scored Perez and tied the game at 1-1.

Detroit threatened to get that run back in the fourth, but Salazar struck out the side following Martinez's leadoff double.

Price then stranded a leadoff double in the home fourth as he battled Salazar pitch for pitch in the early going. Ryan Raburn stroked a double to left and Mike Aviles put runners on the corners with a sharp single after Carlos Santana went down swinging. Price got Brandon Moss to go down looking for the second out before Giovanny Urshela flied out to deep center to end the inning.

Game Notes

Kipnis tied Miguel Dilone's 1980 club record for a hitting streak at home ... Cleveland pitching coach Mickey Callaway was ejected by home plate umpire Eric Cooper in the fifth inning for arguing balls and strikes ... Salazar, who fell to 3-1 at home this season, struck out eight and was charged with seven runs -- six earned -- on six hits in 4 1/3 innings ... Price improved to 5-1 on the road this season.