Cleveland Indians Beat Detroit Tigers 9-4, Complete Sweep

Cleveland Indians Beat Detroit Tigers 9-4, Complete Sweep

The Cleveland Indians bested the Detroit Tigers once again Thursday night by a score of 9-4, completing their second series sweep of the season against their division rivals. The Indians are now 6-0 versus the Tigers. In 2016, the Indians won just seven games all season in their 18 matchups.

The Indians jumped on rookie Michael Fulmer, who was making just his second big league start, scoring four runs in the first inning thanks to an RBI single by Brantley and a big, three-run home run from Mike Napoli. The Indians never relinquished that lead and starter Trevor Bauer, despite allowing a three-run home run of his own, pitched well enough to get the win.Making just his second start of the season, Bauer went 5 2/3 innings allowing three runs on just three hits. He struck out four and walked two in route to earning his second win of the season. The trio of Jeff Manship, Zach McAllister, and Bryan Shaw put up zeros out of the pen before Joba Chamberlain yielded a single run in the ninth when the game was well out of hand. 

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Making just his second start of the season, Bauer went 5 2/3 innings allowing three runs on just three hits. He struck out four and walked two in route to earning his second win of the season. The trio of Jeff Manship, Zach McAllister, and Bryan Shaw put up zeros out of the pen before Joba Chamberlain yielded a single run in the ninth when the game was well out of hand.

Offensively, the Indians had a big night as all nine starters recorded at least one hit while Michael Brantley lead the way with four hits and three RBI. Even the newest member of the Indians, Chris Gimenez, got in on the action slugging his first home run of the year, a solo shot in the fourth inning giving the Tribe some breathing room after the Tigers made it a one-run game in the top half of the inning. Mike Napoli, who has struggled some of late, recorded two hits and knocked in three, raising his team-leading total to 17 RBI on the season.

Roberto Perez to Have Surgery

It wasn’t all good news for the Indians yesterday though as the team announced that backup catcher Roberto Perez will undergo surgery today to repair damage to his right thumb.

Perez was placed on the disabled list earlier in the week and surgery seemed like a possibility all along. Perez hurt his thumb on a play at the plate in Philadelphia where he tagged out Odubel Herrera who tried to score on a pitch in the dirt. Perez remained in the game until being lifted for a pinch-hitter in the ninth; however, he later learned he had fractured the thumb.

Next: Indians Beat Tigers 9-4

The Indians have not said how long Perez will be out though it seems likely they’ll be without his services for a while, possibly until after the All-Star break (though that’s pure speculation on my part at this point).  The Indians will continue to go with the catching tandem of Yan Gomes and newly acquired Chris Gimenez in Perez’s absence.