Tigers 10, Indians 4
DETROIT -- Long home runs by Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder, plus a solid start Friday night by Max Scherzer, helped the Detroit Tigers cool off the Cleveland Indians, 10-4.
Cabrera reached 40 RBI on the season with a drive to left center that hit just below the names of Hall of Fame members Ty Cobb and Hank Greenberg, while Fielder put his solo shot an estimated 460 feet away off the brick wall in right center.
Scherzer (5-0) allowed five hits in eight innings -- just one in the second through sixth -- while striking out seven. Joaquin Benoit pitched the ninth.
Andy Dirks got into the home run swing with a solo shot to right in the seventh, his third, to put Detroit ahead 9-4 after Cleveland had scored twice in the top of the inning.
Nick Swisher's single, his third hit, and a double by Carlos Santana put runners at second and third. A groundout by Mark Reynolds and a sacrifice fly by Michael Brantley scored Swisher and Santana.
Cleveland had won four straight and 10 of 11 entering the game. Detroit has now taken five of its last seven and eight of its last 11.
Victor Martinez had an RBI single in the eighth that produced an unearned run for the Tigers.
Cabrera's seventh home run of the season, a three-run blast that nearly hit the brick wall in left center, came with two out in the fifth and expanded Detroit's lead to 7-2. Omar Infante doubled with one out and Austin Jackson followed with a single to set up Cabrera. Alex Avila drove in his second run of the night with a single up the middle in the fifth to make it 8-2.
Cleveland narrowed the gap with a hustle triple to right by Swisher with one out in the fourth. Santana brought Swisher home by grounding out to second making the score 4-2.
Fielder's ninth home run was an estimated 460-foot drive to right center that bounced off the brick wall behind the stands just between two retired numbers -- Sparky Anderson's 11 and the 42 that represents Jackie Robinson's number. It put Detroit up, 4-1.
But it was a two-run double to extreme right field by Avila in the second inning that shot Detroit past Cleveland in a three-run inning that gave the Tigers a 3-1 lead.
Martinez walked and Jhonny Peralta blooped a one-out double into short left near the foul line before Avila ripped a 3-0 pitch by Cory Kluber (2-2) that erased a 1-0 Indians' lead.
Infante doubled and Torii Hunter singled to right, but only Avila was able to score before Hunter was tagged out rounding first too far. Infante crossed the plate too -- but after Hunter was tagged out to end the inning.
Doubles by Jason Kipnis and Swisher in the first inning off Scherzer gave Cleveland a 1-0 lead.
NOTES: OF/IF Ryan Raburn returned to Detroit for the first time Friday as a member of the Cleveland Indians. Raburn was let go by Detroit, the organization which drafted and brought him to the big leagues, at the end of last season following a disappointing 2012 season during which he was booed heavily and often by fans. "I'd come to the park thinking, 'What's going to happen today,'" said Raburn, who made Cleveland as a nonroster free agent. "I forgot how much fun this game is. It wasn't much fun for me last year." ... LHP Phil Coke has made two scoreless rehab appearances this week and might be activated any day. Manager Jim Leyland skated around the question of when Coke would return, a sign it could come as soon as following Friday night's game or on Saturday. He has been out with a left groin strain since April 26. ... Manager Terry Francona plans to be careful with CF Michael Bourn, who just returned to action after being disabled with a right finger laceration. "He's only played two games. We've got a night game, a night game, a day game and a doubleheader. I'll keep my eyes on it." ... Detroit's bullpen has been outstanding of late. Tigers' relievers entered Friday night's game with the Indians having allowed a 1.39 ERA over the previous 12 games with two wins and 39 strikeouts in 32 1/3 innings. ... Cleveland entered Friday with 49 home runs, most in the baseball.
