Final
Tigers eye fifth straight win in Cleveland
Sep 6, 2011 - 2:46 PMVideo
Cleveland will try to prevent dropping another game off the pace of the first- place Detroit Tigers when the two clubs continue a three-game series.
The Tigers arrived in Cleveland off a three-game sweep of the third-place White Sox and were looking to do the same to their other close competitor. Though the teams battled, it was Detroit's Doug Fister who made the difference by striking a career-high 13 batters over eight innings in a 4-2 win.
Fister got the better of Indians starter Ubaldo Jimenez, who did not allow a hit through the first three innings prior to an ill-fated fourth. Following a single by Delmon Young, Jimenez walked Miguel Cabrera before Victor Martinez belted a three-run homer.
"I couldn't throw a strike to [Cabrera]," said Jimenez. "The pitch to [Martinez], I was trying to go away and I think it got too much of the plate."
Fister, meanwhile, allowed two runs -- one earned -- on four hits to lock down the win and up Detroit's edge over Cleveland in the standings to 7 1/2 games.
"I thought both starters were great," said Tigers manager Jim Leyland. "Both starters were really good today and that was key. Our guy was just a little bit better than theirs."
Though the Tigers have won their last five meetings with the Indians, they have won just twice in seven trips to Cleveland this year.
Kosuke Fukudome hit a homer and Sizemore returned from the disabled list to knock in a run for the Indians, who have alternated wins and loses in past six games. Sizemore had surgery to repair a sports hernia on July 21, just four days after departing a game at Baltimore with a right knee contusion
Tigers starter Rick Porcello faces a tough task tonight as he looks to solve his 2011 issues with the Indians.
Though the 23-year-old is 4-1 with a 4.06 earned run average in his career versus the Indians, he has lasted only 3 2/3 innings in each of his past two outings against them while allowing 13 runs in that span. He was drilled for eight runs at Cleveland on Aug. 10 in a loss, then got a no-decision on Aug. 21 after allowing five runs in the fourth inning of the defeat.
Porcello is 1-0 in two starts since that last outing and is coming off a no- decision against the Royals on Wednesday. He allowed four runs in seven innings of work.
"The offense has picked us up all year," said the right-hander, who is 12-8 with a 5.01 ERA on the season.
Heading to the hill for the Indians this evening will be Fausto Carmona, who has lost three of his past four decisions and is coming off a shutout loss to the Athletics. The righty was charged with four runs -- three earned -- on eight hits over six innings of the 7-0 decision.
Carmona fell to 6-13 with a 4.84 ERA in 27 starts this year, including just a 2-7 mark at home. The 27-year-old lost to Detroit when he last faced them on Aug. 11, yielding three earned runs over seven frames.
Lifetime in this matchup, Carmona is 8-5 with a 3.50 ERA.
- DETROIT: 10
CLEVELAND: 1
Final
Sep 6 9:52 PM - Jhonny Peralta sacrifice fly out scored Victor Martinez with two outs.
Tigers 8, Guardians 0 Top 2, 2 OutsSep 6 7:44 PM - Miguel Cabrera doubled scored Andy Dirks with one out.
Tigers 6, Guardians 0 Top 2, 1 OutSep 6 7:35 PM - Ramon Santiago singled to left scoring Jhonny Peralta with two out. On the play, Don Kelly advances to second. Runners on first and second and Austin Jackson due up.
Tigers 5, Guardians 0 Top 1, 2 OutsSep 6 7:20 PM - Don Kelly singled to right scoring Alex Avila with two out. On the play, Jhonny Peralta advances to second. Runners on first and second and Ramon Santiago due up.
Tigers 4, Guardians 0 Top 1, 2 OutsSep 6 7:18 PM - Victor Martinez singled to center scoring Delmon Young and Miguel Cabrera with two out. Runner on first and Alex Avila due up.
Tigers 2, Guardians 0 Top 1, 2 OutsSep 6 7:14 PM - DETROIT: 0
CLEVELAND: 0
Top 1, 0 Outs
Sep 6 7:05 PM - Chris Kuestner Tigers will win this game easily. Carmona is a garbage pitcher. Porcello is not the greatest either, but the Tigers lineup will have their way with him.
Tigers vs. GuardiansSep 6 2:48 PM
Related News
- Breaking down the Tigers offensive projections for 2024 Dec 26
- A note from the front while awaiting news of anything resembling a baseball thing at all Dec 25
- Analysis of the ZiPS Projections for the 2024 Guardians Dec 24
- Copy of Happy Holidays From the CTC Team: Tell us your Guardians’ Christmas Wish Dec 24
- N&N: Padres ink Yuki Matsui for 5 years Dec 24
- Tigers sign RHP Shelby Miller to a one-year contract Dec 22
- Where Are They Now? - Your Favorite Forgotten Players From 2016 - 2023 Dec 22
- Friday Open Thread: Your Tigers Christmas wish Dec 22
- News and Notes: Is MLB's Hot Stove About to Burst Into Flame? Dec 22
- 75 Years and Counting: The story of the 1983 Cleveland Indians Dec 21
- News and Notes: Guardians ZiPS Projections Releasing Soon on FanGraphs Dec 21
- 75 Years and Counting: The Story of the 1982 Cleveland Indians Dec 20