Detroit Tigers' offense remains dormant, drop Game 1 of doubleheader at Cleveland, 4-1

CLEVELAND — Andres Gimenez took a fearlessly swing at Andrew Chafin's first-pitch slider with two outs in the seventh inning.

The ball sailed over the right-field wall.

A go-ahead, three-run home run.

The Detroit Tigers lost, 4-1, to the Cleveland Guardians in Game 1 of Monday's doubleheader and the first of four games in the series. The offense, worst in MLB, finished with three hits, two walks and 13 strikeouts. The Tigers (43-74) have dropped eight games in a row and carry a 7-27 record since July 9.

Detroit has struck out 91 times over the past seven games.

The lack of offense continues to create problems, but the Tigers were in a position to win until a messy seventh inning. The Guardians put the first two runners on base with right-handed reliever Will Vest on the mound.

Manager A.J. Hinch put Chafin, a left-hander, in the game to face Jose Ramirez with one out and runners on the corners. Chafin struck out Ramirez on four pitches, finishing the four-time All-Star with a nasty swing-and-miss slider.

Then, Gimenez stepped to the plate. On the first pitch, the Guardians took a 4-1 advantage.

The Tigers' offense remained lifeless in the eighth and ninth innings, as Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase — an All-Star who entered Monday with a 1.29 ERA and an American League-leading 26 saves — retired three straight to end the game.

Drew Hutchison vs. Aaron Civale

Right-hander Drew Hutchison completed 5⅓ innings for the Tigers, allowing one run on seven hits and one walk with four strikeouts. Opposing Hutchison, Guardians right-hander Aaron Civale tossed six innings of one-run ball, allowing three hits and one walk with 10 strikeouts.

Hutchison threw 67 of 101 pitches for strikes.

The Guardians didn't score until the fifth inning, when Myles Straw opened the frame with a single and stole second base with one out. A fourth-pitch slider to Ramirez hung over the heart of the plate, and with two outs, the slugger singled to right field.

It was enough to score Straw and tie the game, 1-1.

Hutchison allowed a leadoff double to Oscar Gonzalez in the sixth inning but struck out Owen Miller before righty reliever Will Vest replaced him. Vest retired the next two batters to keep the game tied entering the seventh.

For his 101 pitches, Hutchison used 37 four-seam fastballs, 32 sliders, 16 changeups and 16 sinkers. He produced eight swings and misses: three four-seamers, three sliders and two changeups.

The Tigers scored their lone run against Civale in the first inning, as Riley Greene drilled a leadoff single to center field on the first pitch of the game. Javier Báez put two runners in scoring position with a one-out double — his 24th double this season — on a first-pitch slider.

Harold Castro, the next batter, grounded out, scoring Greene scored for a 1-0 lead. Miguel Cabrera, with Báez standing on third base, struck out swinging on three pitches to squander a chance at more runs.

For Civale's 82 pitches (56 strikes), he threw 36 curveballs, 24 cutters, 15 sinkers, four four-seam fastballs and three sliders. He got 18 swings and misses: 11 curveballs, three cutters, three sinkers and one slider.

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold. Read more on the Detroit Tigers and sign up for our Tigers newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers' offense dormant, drop Game 1 of DH at Cleveland, 4-1