• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Indians edge Tigers, complete sweep

May 1, 2011 - 10:57 PM Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) - Matt LaPorta had a pair of doubles and drove in three runs as the Cleveland Indians defeated the Detroit Tigers, 5-4, to sweep a three-game series at Progressive Field.

Orlando Cabrera and Michael Brantley each had two hits and plated a run for the Indians, who have won 13 straight home games and six straight overall.

Chad Durbin (1-1) took the win by getting one out in the eighth for Cleveland, while undefeated starter Justin Masterson got his first no-decision of the season after allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits in seven-plus innings.

Don Kelly had two hits and an RBI for Detroit, which has been swept in back- to-back three-game series. Tigers reliever Joaquin Benoit (0-2) was tagged with the loss for allowing three runs on three hits in the eighth.

"We're not doing enough to win games," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said. "We either get behind and not fighting back or we get ahead and can't hold them off. It's a combination of a lot of things right now."

Cleveland won the first two games of the series with clutch hitting near the end of the game. During Friday's opener Carlos Santana belted a grand slam in the ninth while Saturday's marathon game ended on Cabrera's bases-loaded single in the bottom of the 13th.

On Sunday, the Indians took the lead for good in the late innings once again. After Detroit grabbed a 3-2 edge in the eighth, thanks to Alex Avila's sacrifice fly to plate Kelly, the Indians answered right back with three runs during the home half.

Shin-Soo Choo singled to start the frame and he moved to second after Shelley Duncan was hit in the hand with a Benoit pitch. Cabrera then ripped a scorching grounder to third baseman Brandon Inge, who could only deflect it into the outfield. During the play, Choo was able to round third and slide safely into home, knotting the game at three.

Duncan then touched the plate on Brantley's single and LaPorta scored Cabrera with a long sac fly into the left corner to end the rally.

Those runs were much-needed as the Tigers threatened in the ninth when Miguel Cabrera's two-out single brought home Austin Jackson to make it a one-run game. Indians closer Chris Perez got his seventh save of the season, though, by forcing Brennan Boesch to fly out to end the game.

"Those guys never give up," Indians manager Manny Acta said of his team. "We made some things happen today. Orlando Cabrera and Brantley had great hits for us today."

Detroit got on the board in the first on Kelly's RBI double. Kelly then scored on a passed ball later on in the same frame for a 2-0 lead.

LaPorta's double off the right field fence scored Orlando Cabrera and Brantley to tie the game up at two in the second inning.

Game Notes

Cleveland hasn't won 13 straight home games since April 6-May 17, 1996. The franchise record for longest home winning streak is 18, set during the 1994 campaign....Masterson is the first Indian to win each of his first five starts since Cliff Lee started 6-0 after six games in 2008...Cleveland has swept five series this year. Last year the team only had four total...Detroit out hit Cleveland, 10-8, but left 10 runners on base.