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Gutierrez's blast buoys Indians past Tigers

Aug 23, 2007 - 4:10 AM DETROIT (Ticker) -- Franklin Gutierrez blasted a three-run home run and the Cleveland Indians belted out 16 hits en route to an 11-8 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday.

Cleveland (69-56) now leads the American League Central Division by 1 1/2 games over Detroit (68-58).

With Detroit starter Justin Verlander struggling in the fifth inning, the Tigers brought in righthander Zach Miner to face Gutierrez with two runners aboard.

Gutierrez greeted Miner by launching a three-run shot to left field, giving the Indians an 8-3 lead.

"The guy (Verlander), he's tough," Gutierrez said. "For me, it was the first time I faced him. I tried to be early and tried to swing at fastballs."

Verlander (13-5) suffered the loss after allowing seven runs and 10 hits in four innings.

"It was an overall bad night," Verlander said. "I wish it wouldn't have been on a night of such an important game, but it happens.

"I was up and down all night. I had a good fastball for only one inning, otherwise, I was up in the zone and couldn't control any of my pitches."

Prior to Gutierrez's hit, the Indians seemed content to play small ball.

"Gutierrez, he had a great game for us and in right field," Indians manager Eric Wedge said. "He made a great catch, a three-run homer ... he was in the middle of everything tonight. He realy stepped up."

Four run-scoring singles preceded Gutierrez's blast, starting with Victor Martinez's base hit to right field, which easily plated the speedy Kenny Lofton from second base in the first inning.

After Detroit's Carlos Guillen responded with a three-run homer in the first, Cleveland countered with a four-run fourth inning.

Asdrubal Cabrera, Casey Blake and Grady Sizemore all chipped in with run-scoring singles, while Blake scored on a wild pitch to give the Indians a 5-3 lead.

Every Cleveland batter in the starting lineup had at least one hit, with seven of the nine recording two.

The Tigers, who generated the majority of their offense courtesy of home runs, battled back in the sixth inning.

"It was a good hitting game," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "We battled all the way to the end. It was the add-on runs that killed us.

"It was a good game if you're in the other clubhouse. If you're in this one, it wasn't."

Magglio Ordonez's solo blast led off the frame and cut the deficit to 8-4, and Marcus Thames belted a two-run shot to chase starter Paul Byrd.

Byrd (12-5) allowed six runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings, but relievers Rafael Perez and Rafael Betancourt combined to allow just one hit while striking out four in 2 2/3 innings.

"I would have liked to have given up fewer runs, personally," Byrd said. "But the season's not about my ERA, it's about us winning the division.

"We scored a lot of runs, scored early, and scored off a great pitcher. It seemed that if I left the ball in the middle of the plate at all, and it ended up in the stands."

Jensen Lewis came on in the ninth and surrendered run-scoring singles to Placido Polanco and Ordonez. Joe Borowski relieved Lewis and notched his 35th save by retiring the next two batters.

"It was a battle," Wedge said. "It was a battle back and forth all night long, and it went down to the final pitch."