Scherzer wins 17th: Tigers sweep Indians
CLEVELAND -- So much for the drama of the American League Central race.
Max Scherzer gave up two runs in seven innings and got plenty of help from Detroit's hitters as the Tigers completed a four-game sweep of the Cleveland Indians with a 10-3 victory on Thursday night.
The Tigers have won 12 games in a row and 16 of 17 while taking a commanding seven-game lead over the second-place Indians in the AL Central race. Detroit outscored Cleveland 25-11 in the series.
"This was our best four-game series of the year. Everybody did their job," Scherzer said.
Tigers manager Jim Leyland said, "Sometimes you have fairy tale series like this. Sometimes they go for you sometimes they go against you. This one went for us."
Detroit is 13-3 against the Indians and 9-1 in Cleveland this year.
"At the beginning of the year, if somebody told me we'd be 9-1 with the Indians in Cleveland, I would have told him he was nuts," Leyland said. "But there is a lot of baseball left. We had a very good series against a very good team, but I know they aren't going anywhere."
Scherzer allowed four hits and one walk while running his record to 17-1, the best mark in Tigers history for a pitcher in his first 18 decisions. The previous record of 16-2 was accomplished twice, by Bobo Newsom in 1940 and by Denny McLain in 1968.
Scherzer, who picked up his 1,000th career strikeout in the first inning, retired the first nine batters he faced. By the time the Indians got their first hit, they were already trailing 6-0.
The right-hander threw 100 pitches, 71 of them strikes. He struck out five.
"We had the right guy going tonight," Leyland said of Scherzer.
Former Indian Victor Martinez went 2-for-5 with three RBIs and Miguel Cabrera added three RBIs for the Tigers.
The series came to an ignominious conclusion for Cleveland as outfielder Ryan Raburn pitched the ninth inning. Raburn retired the side in order, on two groundouts and a swinging strikeout of Matt Tuiasosopo.
"I didn't want him to hurt himself, number one. He has a good arm, but I didn't want him to blow it out. I thought he kept it under control and threw it over the plate, which is good," Indians manager Terry Francona said.
Leyland said, "I know Terry doesn't like to do that and neither do I. Nobody likes to bring in a position player to pitch."
"I told my agent we have to renegotiate because now I'm a two-way player," joked Raburn, who on Wednesday signed a two-year contract extension.
The Tigers blew the game open and knocked out Cleveland starter Zach McAllister with a six-run third inning in which Detroit sent 12 men to the plate.
McAllister (4-7) walked Ramon Santiago to start the inning, then gave up a single the Hernan Perez. Austin Jackson walked to load the bases with no outs.
McAllister rallied briefly to strike out Andy Dirks, but Cabrera walked, forcing in Santiago with the first run of the game.
Prince Fielder followed with a two-run double to make it 3-0. Martinez singled home two more runs. Cleveland made two errors on a grounder hit by Santiago, allowing the sixth run of the inning to score.
"Getting a 6-0 lead in the third and then adding on after that, it just shows how good of a team we are," Scherzer said.
RBI singles by Dirks and Martinez in the fourth inning made it 8-0 before Cleveland got on the board with an RBI single by Asdrubal Cabrera in the fourth.
Cabrera added to the rout with a two-run single to make it 10-1 in the fifth.
McAllister allowed six runs (five earned) in 2 1/3 innings.
NOTES: Before the game, the Indians designated for assignment slumping INF Mark Reynolds, who is tied for the team lead in home runs with 15 but was hitting .187 since May 1. RHP Preston Guilmet was recalled from Triple-A Columbus, where he had a 1.95 ERA in 42 relief appearances. Guilmet pitched 2 2/3 innings after McAllister's exit, allowing four runs. ... Tigers SS Jose Iglesias was a late scratch from the starting lineup because of a left big toe contusion. ... Through Wednesday, Detroit closer Joaquin Benoit had a 1.08 ERA in his past 26 appearances dating to May 28.
