Tigers 5, Indians 4: Alex Avila delivered a go-ahead two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning as Detroit rallied past Cleveland to remain atop the American League Central.

Miguel Cabrera drew a four-pitch walk to begin the eighth before Bryan Shaw (5-4) retired Victor Martinez and J.D. Martinez. Avila worked the right-hander to a full count before belting a slider over the middle of the plate into the right-field stands for his 11th homer.

Joba Chamberlain (2-5) stranded a pair of runners in a scoreless eighth and Joe Nathan worked around a leadoff walk in the ninth for his 31st save as Detroit preserved its half-game lead over Kansas City in the Central. Michael Brantley connected on a solo home run among his two hits and joined Mike Aviles with two RBIs for Cleveland, which dropped 5 1/2 games behind the Tigers in the division and five back of the Royals for the second wild card.

Brantley staked the Indians to an early 2-0 advantage three batters into the game when he clubbed a 3-2 fastball into the right-field seats. Detroit evened it with a pair of runs in the third as Ian Kinsler singled home Andrew Romine and Torii Hunter pushed across Rajai Davis with a sacrifice fly on the next pitch before taking the lead for the first time in the fourth on Victor Martinez’s 31st home run.

Lonnie Chisenhall and Jesus Aguilar sparked Cleveland in the fifth with consecutive one-out singles ahead of Aviles, who doubled down the right-field line to plate a pair and put the Indians back in front. Scott Atchison got out of the sixth after starter Danny Salazar and Marc Rzepczynski each issued a two-out walk, but Shaw was unable to hold the lead when he gave up an earned run for the first time in nine outings.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Cleveland RF Ryan Raburn was pulled from the game before the Indians took the field in the bottom of the fourth due to a left knee hyperextension. … Brantley is one home run shy of doubling his previous career high (10 in 2013). … Detroit starter Kyle Lobstein was tagged for four runs on six hits in five frames while Salazar yielded three runs on six hits and struck out seven over 5 2/3 innings.