Major League Baseball
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Detroit 6, Cleveland 4
When: 1:08 PM ET, Sunday, September 14, 2014
Where: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan
Temperature: 61°
Umpires: Home - Jerry Layne, 1B - Hunter Wendelstedt, 2B - Mike Estabrook, 3B - Rob Drake
Attendance: 39395


Tigers 6, Indians 4: Ian Kinsler delivered a go-ahead two-run home run in the seventh inning as Detroit rallied past Cleveland for the second straight time to complete a three-game home sweep.

J.D. Martinez joined Kinsler with two RBIs and added two hits for Detroit, which increased its lead over Kansas City in the American League Central to 1 ½ games. Phil Coke (5-2) worked a scoreless seventh for the victory and Joe Nathan earned his 32nd save as the Tigers took seven of the final eight meetings to win the season series 11-8.

Carlos Santana knocked in a pair of runs while Michael Brantley and Yan Gomes added two hits apiece for the Indians, who fell 6 ½ games back of the Tigers in the division but remained five behind the Royals for the second wild card. Bryan Shaw (5-5), who also gave up Alex Avila’s go-ahead homer in the eighth of Saturday’s 5-4 setback, was tagged for his second loss in as many days.

After Cleveland and Detroit left exactly one runner on base in each of the first three innings, Justin Verlander stranded a pair in the fourth before Martinez hammered a 1-0 changeup over the 420-foot sign in straightaway center. The Indians evened it in the fifth, getting their first run after Michael Bourn came around to score on Santana’s sacrifice fly.

Cleveland chased Verlander after Roberto Perez singled with two outs in the sixth and reliever Blaine Hardy loaded the bases with a walk to Bourn before giving up an infield RBI single to Jose Ramirez and plating another run by hitting Brantley with a pitch. Martinez drove in Miguel Cabrera with a single in the sixth and Kinsler put the Tigers back in front for good when he followed Rajai Davis’ leadoff single with his 14th homer.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Martinez, who doubled his previous career high with his 22nd homer in the fourth, finished .345 with seven home runs and 20 RBIs against Cleveland. The RBI total is the most by an AL player against the Indians this season. … Brantley went 2-for-4 to bat .405 against the Tigers this season. … Verlander allowed three runs on six hits over 5 2/3 innings while Cleveland starter Trevor Bauer permitted two runs (one earned) on six hits in five frames.

Top Game Performances
Starting Pitchers
Cleveland   Detroit
Trevor Bauer Player Justin Verlander
No Decision W/L No Decision
5.0 IP 5.2
3 Strikeouts 6
6 Hits 6
1.80 ERA 4.76
Hitting
Cleveland   Detroit
Michael Brantley Player J.D. Martinez
2 Hits 2
1 RBI 2
0 HR 1
2 TB 5
.500 Avg .667
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Hits HR TB Avg LOB K RBI BB SB Errors
Cleveland 10 0 11 .286 24 7 4 5 1 1
Detroit 11 2 17 .344 20 6 5 5 1 0