Guardians 1 - 5 Tigers
Final
  for this game

Tigers avoid sweep behind strong start from Smyly

Jul 21, 2014 - 12:02 AM Detroit, MI (SportsNetwork.com) - Torii Hunter hit a two-run homer, Drew Smyly threw seven solid innings and the Detroit Tigers avoided a four-game sweep by beating the Cleveland Indians, 5-1, at Comerica Park.

Austin Jackson had two hits with a walk and scored one run for the Tigers, who snapped a four-game losing streak.

The Indians had scored 20 runs through the first three games of this series, but Smyly (6-8) held them to a run on four hits. He struck out six and walked two.

"I think Smyly's performance probably stands out. (He) kind of gave us really what we needed, going seven innings, having played three games the last two days, holding them to one run," said Tigers manager Brad Ausmus.

Cleveland starter Josh Tomlin (5-7) gave up four runs on six hits in 4 1/3 innings.

The Indians were looking to win six straight on the road for the first time since 2008.

"This was a game we really wanted to get," Indians designated hitter Nick Swisher said. "We just weren't able to get it done."

The Tigers quickly built a lead as Jackson opened the bottom of the first with a double to left and scored on Ian Kinsler's bouncer through the left side. Kinsler, who snapped an 0-for-16 streak with the single, took second on the throw home and eventually scored on a Victor Martinez sacrifice fly.

Tomlin settled down and didn't allow another hit until J.D. Martinez's two-out single in the fourth. Hunter followed with a blast to left, extending Detroit's advantage to 4-0.

Smyly, meanwhile, was cruising along and had his no-hit effort broken up in the fifth by Yan Gomes' two-out double to the right-center field gap. Smyly stranded Gomes at second and retired three in a row after the Indians got their first two aboard in the next frame.

The Tigers looked to pad their lead, loading the bases with one out in the bottom of the sixth. Reliever Kyle Crockett, however, fanned both Alex Avila and Andrew Romine to end the threat.

Gomes homered to left off Smyly in the seventh, but that's all Cleveland could muster against the Detroit lefty.

Joba Chamberlain succeeded Smyly and pitched around two eighth-inning walks, getting help from the catcher Avila, who threw out Jason Kipnis attempting to steal second.

Nick Castellanos pushed Detroit's lead to 5-1 with an RBI double after Hunter's two-out walk in the bottom of the eighth.

Game Notes

The Indians have never swept a four-game set in Detroit ... The Tigers lost a season-high five straight from May 31-June 5.






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