Cabrera, Fielder lead Tigers over Indians in extras

CLEVELAND -- First Miguel Cabrera stunned the Cleveland Indians, then Prince Fielder beat them.

Cabrera's mammoth two-run home run in the eighth inning was the game's most dramatic blow, but it was Fielder's two-run double in the top of the 14th that lifted the Detroit Tigers to a 6-5 win over the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday night.

Detroit extended its winning streak to 11 games and its lead to six games over second-place Cleveland in the American League Central Division. The Tigers will go for a sweep of the four-game series Thursday behind Max Scherzer (16-1).

With the score tied 4-4, Austin Jackson led off the 14th with a double off reliever Bryan Shaw (2-3). Torii Hunter flied out to right, but Jackson advanced to third.

Hernan Perez walked. Left-hander Marc Rzepczynski relieved Shaw, and Fielder greeted Rzepczynski with a double to left-center field on an 0-2 pitch, scoring Jackson and Perez.

"Prince competes as hard as anyone. That's why he gets hits off left-handers," said Detroit manager Jim Leyland, whose team is now 12-3 vs. their closest pursuers in the AL Central race.

The win went to Jeremy Bonderman (2-3), who pitched three scoreless innings. Joaquin Benoit pitched the bottom of the 14th and gave up an RBI double to Michael Bourn, but then got the third out to pick up his 14th save.

Cabrera's home run came against impressive Indians rookie Danny Salazar, who, in his second major league start, struck out Cabrera in each of his first three at-bats.

But in the top of the eighth, with the Tigers trailing 3-2 with two outs and Torii Hunter at first, Cabrera blasted Salazar's first pitch 449 feet, well over the wall in center field for his 33rd home run, giving him 102 RBIs.

"He's a great hitter. The best one right now. He just got that pitch really good," said Salazar.

"Cabrera is the best, in my opinion, because he can strike at any time. The young kid got him all night, but the last time he didn't get him," said Leyland.

Through the first six innings, Cabrera and Fielder were a combined 0-for-6 with five strikeouts against Salazar, who struck out 10 and walked one in 7 2/3 innings while consistently throwing in the high 90s.

"It's not often I sit in the dugout and say holy (bleep)!" said Leyland. "But that kid (Salazar) is something special. That was an easy 98, 99. Easy. He was lights out."

Cabrera's home run came on Salazar's 103rd and final pitch of the game. Asked why he chose to let Salazar face Cabrera for a fourth time in the game, Cleveland manager Terry Francona said, "Because he was throwing about as well as he could. That would have been his last hitter. But to that point, I would have had a hard time justifying having him not pitch, that's how good I thought he was."

Cleveland bounced back following Cabrera's homer to tie the score in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI groundout by Yan Gomes.

Tigers starter Doug Fister was removed from the game after six innings and the Indians broke a 2-2 tie in the seventh on an RBI double by Nick Swisher off Al Alburquerque, giving Cleveland a 3-2 lead.

Trailing 2-1, the Tigers tied it in the sixth inning when Jackson led off by belting a 3-2 pitch over the left field wall for his eighth home run.

The Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the second inning, the only inning in the first five in which Salazar did not retire the side in order. With one out, Victor Martinez singled and went to second on a single by Brayan Pena.

Ramon Santiago drew a walk to load the bases with two outs. Jose Iglesias then hit a soft single to center field. Martinez scored on the hit, but center fielder Bourn threw out Pena at the plate for the third out.

The Indians scored twice in the third inning to take a 2-1 lead. Gomes, in his first career at-bat against Fister, blasted a 1-2 pitch into the left field bleachers for his eighth home run of the season. One out later, Bourn walked and then rode home on a double off the center field wall by Nick Swisher, giving the Indians a 2-1 lead.

NOTES: The Indians announced that RHP Corey Kluber is expected to miss four to six weeks with a sprained right middle finger. ... RHP Matt Langwell was optioned to Triple-A Columbus prior to the game to make room on the roster for RHP Danny Salazar, who was recalled from Columbus to start Wednesday's game. ... The Tigers Wednesday released former closer Jose Valverde, who had been pitching at Triple-A Toledo. ... Cabrera is only the second player in Tigers history to have 100 RBIs in six consecutive seasons. The other was Harry Heilmann, who did it in seven straight seasons from 1923-29.