Indians can't handle Miggy as Tigers win series
DETROIT -- Left-hander Kyle Lobstein logged seven solid innings, stymieing the Indians' lineup and leading the Tigers to an 8-6 victory on Sunday afternoon at Comerica Park. Detroit took the series and improved to 5-1 against Cleveland this season.
The Tribe, which fell to 1-6 against left-handed starters this year, managed only three runs on six hits against Lobstein, who struck out four and walked two in his second win over the Indians this year. The lefty was supported by a three-hit day from slugger Miguel Cabrera, who launched a two-run home run (his third on the season -- all against Cleveland) in the sixth.
"When you've got speed in front of you and they get on base, you have to take advantage, make something happen," Cabrera said. "We did that a lot today and it worked for us."
Video: CLE@DET: Miggy goes yard to pad the Tigers' lead
Ryan Raburn, Brandon Moss and Carlos Santana each had a run-scoring hit for the Indians, who did what they could to rally against Detroit's bullpen. After scoring two in the eighth, David Murphy added a pinch-hit, leadoff home run for the Indians in the ninth.
Video: CLE@DET: Santana's single chips away at Tigers' lead
Right-hander Carlos Carrasco struggled through 4 1/3 innings for the Indians, allowing five runs on nine hits. Things went awry quickly for Carrasco, who allowed a leadoff triple to Rajai Davis to set up a two-run first inning for Detroit. Ian Kinsler, Victor Martinez and J.D. Martinez (two RBIs) each drove in runs against the Tribe starter.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Not much labor for Lobstein: After giving up damage in the first inning of his previous two starts before settling in, Lobstein was on from the outset Sunday, getting called third strikes on Jason Kipnis and Michael Brantley in retiring the side in order in the opening frame. Lobstein's trouble spots centered around the next third of the order -- Santana, Raburn and Moss -- but Lobstein knew where his outs were and got them.
"Last game I faced these guys, I wasn't as effective with fastball command," Lobstein said. "With it feeling better today, that first inning was huge being able to set the tone with that fastball."
Running wild: Raburn delivered a pair of hits in his first two at-bats, but the veteran utility man was thrown out at third base shortly thereafter each time. In the second, Raburn was cut down trying to stretch an RBI double into a triple. In the fourth, he was caught too far off third base in an effort to help the Tribe avoid a double play on a fielder's choice grounder off the bat of Lonnie Chisenhall. Raburn was quickly tagged out on a rundown.
Video: CLE@DET: Tigers' relay from the corner nails Raburn
"It's first and third. You want to stay out of the double play," Raburn said of the play in the fourth. "Any ball hit to the corners, I was going and trying to stay out of the double play and keep the inning going. That's really all it was."
Video: CLE@DET: Tigers nab Raburn in rundown, preserve lead
Decision gone wrong: After striking out Cabrera with runners on second and third base in the fifth, Carrasco opted to intentionally walk Victor Martinez to load the bases, setting up a force at each base. The move backfired when J.D. Martinez followed by ripping a pitch from the right-hander into left field for a two-run double, pushing Detroit to a 5-2 lead at the time.
Video: CLE@DET: J. Martinez doubles home a pair off Carrasco
Cabrera goes off on strikes: A day after the Indians walked Cabrera four times, they gave him pitches to hit. He responded with two easy singles his first couple times up before delivering a home run to a fan in the right-field seats and a sacrifice fly into the right-field corner. It marked his first multi-hit game since the start of this homestand on April 17, and his fourth against Cleveland this year. He's 15-for-23 (.652) with three homers and nine RBIs against the Tribe this season.
QUOTABLE
"Every time we play Cleveland, it's the same thing. It never changes. Every time, we score early, and it's a nail-biter by the ninth inning." -- J.D. Martinez
"[Carrasco] gave up a lot of hits and he had to work out of, it seemed like, trouble every inning. It seemed like they had the leadoff hitter on just about every inning. For the amount of hits he gave up, I didn't think he threw the ball that poorly." -- Indians manager Terry Francona
INJURY REPORT
Davis, who helped re-ignite the Tigers' offense atop the batting order this weekend and ran wild on the Indians' defense, took a bad step out of the batter's box on an eighth-inning single and slowed up on his way to first. He left the game with a tight right groin, and was lifted for pinch-runner Anthony Gose. More >
Video: CLE@DET: Davis comes up lame on single, exits in 8th
REPLAY REVIEW
In the second inning, Raburn connected for an RBI double, but tried for a triple and was thrown out by the Tigers on a relay to third. Francona challenged the out call, but the initial ruling stood following a replay review lasting two minutes and 11 seconds.
Video: CLE@DET: Out call stands at third in the 2nd inning
"I looked at it and I thought he was safe," Francona said. "I can see why they didn't overturn it. It was close, but I actually thought he was safe. I think if they would've called him safe, they wouldn't have overturned it the other way, either."
WHAT'S NEXT
Indians: Reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber (0-2, 3.90 ERA) will take the mound on Monday against the Royals at 6:10 p.m. ET still in search of his first win in 2015. In his most recent outing on Wednesday, the right-hander surrendered six runs on 13 hits in six innings of a loss against the White Sox.
Tigers: Three weeks after the Tigers opened their season with a three-game sweep of the Twins in Detroit, they open a 10-game, 11-day road trip in Minnesota with David Price on the mound opposite Tommy Milone on Monday at 8:10 p.m. ET. Price fell one out shy of a shutout of the Twins on Opening Day, settling for 8 2/3 scoreless innings.
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