Livin' Avila loca: Alex's HR backs Boyd

Livin' Avila loca: Alex's HR backs Boyd

April 16th, 2017

CLEVELAND -- One of the reasons the Indians have been slow out of the gate offensively this season has been the high volume of lefties they have encountered. On Sunday, Tigers left-hander Matthew Boyd got his turn against the Tribe and spun six strong innings en route to a 4-1 victory at Progressive Field.
With the win, Detroit took two out of three against Cleveland, which dominated the Tigers last season to the tune of a 14-4 record. It's the first series win for the Tigers at Progressive Field since June 22-24, 2015. Through a dozen games this year, though, the Indians have faced six left-handers. The two they ran into in this series -- and Boyd -- combined to allow just one run over 12 innings.
"You hope it's confidence that builds momentum for them," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said of his young lefty starters. "There's a pretty good chance they'll see [the Indians] again."
• Tito: Indians' bats will come around vs. LHPs
Cleveland's only run off Boyd came in the sixth, when and singled in consecutive at-bats and then pulled off a double steal. then brought Brantley home with a sacrifice fly to left field.
• Ausmus: Tigers playing purposeful baseball

Boyd, who scattered seven hits and ended with three strikeouts against two walks, received some early support from catcher Alex Avila. In the second, Avila crushed a fastball from right-hander to center field for a two-run homer. That was all Carrasco yielded over 6 2/3 innings, in which he struck out five and issued five walks.

"We're just not getting it done," Indians outfielder said. "It's tough, especially when Carlos pitched such a good game. We're in the game and we had chances. Not coming through, it's not fun."
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Avila powers up: In Friday's win over the Tribe, Avila belted a two-run homer off . Back in the lineup for Detroit on Sunday, the veteran catcher connected for another two-run shot -- this one off Carrasco. The right-hander threw a 96-mph four-seamer over the heart of the plate, and Avila sent it out to center with an exit velocity of 107 mph. The blast traveled a projected 416 feet, per Statcast™. That was the lone blemish within a strong outing by the Indians starter.
"Ball found the barrel," Avila said.
Insurance runs: In the first two games of this series, Detroit's bullpen allowed 10 runs against the Tribe. During Sunday's finale, the Tigers' offense scored two eighth-inning runs to give its relief corps some added cushion. Against , Nick Castellanos doubled and scored on a single by . Not long after Cabrera exited due to tightness in his lower back, pinch-runner scored from third on a wild pitch from Zach McAllister.
"[Carrasco] kept it right there, which is what you want him to do," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "And he gave us a chance where you feel like, if you get some baserunners, you've got a chance to win that game. But, [Detroit] put a couple tack-on runs."

QUOTABLE
"The changeup kind of took the sting out of our bats. Sneaky fastball. Real good changeup. He could throw it any time, any count. And it's a good one." -- Francona, on Boyd
"That was last year. We know they're a good team. We know that the Central goes through them, but it's nice to get off to a good start." -- , on taking series from Cleveland after losing 14 of 18 in the rivalry last year
UPON FURTHER REVIEW
In the seventh inning, Carrasco sent a 91-mph two-seamer up and in to , who dodged the pitch and dropped to the dirt. It was initially ruled a hit-by-pitch, but the Indians challenged the ruling, which was overturned after a replay review lasting 40 seconds.

One pitch later, sprinted from first to second base and was caught stealing by Cleveland catcher . The Tigers challenged that out call, but the ruling stood after a replay review lasting one minute and 47 seconds.

WHAT'S NEXT
Tigers: The Tigers are off on Monday before opening a three-game series vs. Tampa Bay on Tuesday with a 7:10 p.m. ET contest at Tropicana Field. (1-0, 2.25 ERA) tries to follow up on the 14 innings of one-run ball he twirled against the Rays in his American League Rookie of the Year 2016 campaign.
Indians: The Tribe is hitting the road for a seven-game swing through Minnesota and Chicago. Right-hander (0-1, 4.63 ERA) is scheduled to take the mound against the Twins in an 8:10 p.m. ET tilt on Monday at Target Field in the opener of a four-game series.
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