• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Tigers, Indians square off again with first place on line

Jun 16, 2011 - 2:34 PM (Sports Network) - A rare victory in Motown on Wednesday helped get the Cleveland Indians back into a tie for first place in the American League Central.

As if winning at Comerica Park wasn't tough enough, the Tribe must now get past eight-game winner Max Scherzer today if they want to capture a series victory over the Detroit Tigers when the teams wrap up a three-game set.

After getting shut out for the second time in four games in Tuesday's opener, the Indians battled back last night to claim a 6-4 victory. Matt LaPorta and Orlando Cabrera both drove in a pair of runs, while Shin-Soo Choo touched home three times to put some life back into an offense that had managed just two runs over that four-game span.

Fausto Carmona did his best not to waste the offense, allowing four runs over five innings to post his first victory in seven starts. Cleveland, meanwhile, picked up just its third victory in its last 13 games overall.

"[Carmona] battled through it. He started throwing his changeup and did a good job," Indians catcher Lou Marson said of his battery mate.

Detroit had claimed first place in the AL Central for the first time since last July with Tuesday's win, but slipped back into a virtual tie with Cleveland while falling to 4-3 on an eight-game homestand. Brennan Boesch had a solo homer and joined Alex Avila with two RBI in the losing effort.

"They pitched better than we did," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "We had Carmona on the ropes, we just couldn't do anything with their bullpen."

Though Cleveland swept a three-game set at home over Detroit from April 29-May 1 and has won seven of the past eight in this series, the Indians prevailed for just the third time in their last 19 games at Detroit yesterday.

Picking up a second straight win in Comerica Park may prove difficult if Scherzer can replicate his last outing.

After giving up 19 runs in three straight start, the righty held the Seattle Mariners to a run on four hits and two walks over seven innings on Saturday. Scherzer improved to 8-2 with a 4.39 earned run average in 14 starts this season and with a third straight victorious effort today, can join Boston's Jon Lester as the only nine-game winners in the AL.

"I really just executed pitches better," Scherzer told Detroit's website after Saturday's game. "I was able to keep my slider down in the zone and my fastball down in the zone. A couple balls found our gloves, and our defense made plays."

The 26-year-old is only 1-3 with a 5.97 ERA in five career starts against the Indians, getting a no-decision versus them on April 29 after yielding five runs on six hits and five walks in 6 2/3 innings. Scherzer yielded homers to Asdrubal Cabrera and LaPorta, while Shelly Duncan had a pair of hits and drove in two runs off the hurler.

Cleveland's struggling offense hasn't helped Mitch Talbot as of late, with the club getting shut out in each of his last two outings. Talbot, meanwhile, has given up just five runs in his past three starts, going 1-2 in that span.

The right-hander did yield a pair of homers for a second straight start on Saturday versus the Yankees and was ejected after 5 2/3 innings for hitting Alex Rodriguez with a pitch. Talbot, who said he slipped on the throw, was tossed without a warning thanks to a testy series between the clubs.

"This guy was throwing a great game. It was 2-0. It was baffling to me that [the umpire] made that decision," said Indians manager Manny Acta of the ejection.

Talbot's second straight loss dropped him to 2-3 with a 4.01 ERA in six starts this year. The 27-year-old is 2-1 with a 5.18 ERA in five career games against the Tigers, including four starts.