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Reyes homers in six-run seventh, Indians beat Tigers 10-1

Posted at 11:34 PM, Aug 27, 2019
and last updated 2019-08-27 23:35:04-04

DETROIT (AP) — Franmil Reyes hit a three-run homer to highlight a six-run seventh inning, and the Cleveland Indians beat the Detroit Tigers 10-1 on Tuesday night.

The Indians have won 12 straight against the Tigers and are 13-1 against them this season. Carlos Santana had three hits and scored three times for Cleveland, while four pitchers combined for 15 strikeouts.

Detroit is now 17-44 at Comerica Park and needs to win five of the final 20 home games to avoid becoming the first team since at least 1908 to lose 60 at home.

The Tigers also lost Miguel Cabrera, who left the game after two at-bats with tightness in his left biceps — the same one he tore to end his 2018 season in June.

Adam Plutko (6-3) improved to 2-0 in his last three starts, giving up one run on three hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out a career-high nine.

Spencer Turnbull (3-13) allowed four runs and seven hits, needing 98 pitches to get through five innings. He is tied for third in the majors in losses, one behind Brad Keller and Aaron Sanchez.

The Indians took a 3-0 lead with a two-out rally in the first. Santana singled off second baseman Ronny Rodríguez’s glove and scored on Yasiel Puig’s double off the center-field fence. Jason Kipnis followed with his 14th homer.

Rodríguez made it 3-1 with an RBI single in the second. The Tigers loaded the bases later in the inning, but Oscar Mercado made a diving catch of Victor Reyes’ sinking liner to get Plutko out of trouble.

Mike Freeman’s sacrifice fly gave the Indians a 4-1 lead in the third.

Plutko struck out seven of eight Tigers hitters in one stretch, surpassing his previous career-high of eight strikeouts in the fifth inning.

The Indians loaded the bases against Nick Ramirez in the sixth, but Francisco Lindor grounded into his second inning-ending double play of the night.

Cleveland, though, padded the lead against Ramirez and David McKay in the seventh.

Ramirez kept the Indians going in the inning by misplaying a two-out grounder and Franmil Reyes followed with a three-run homer into the shrubbery in center. Reyes has homered in there straight games, matching his previous career best set between May 28-30, 2018.

Freeman followed with a grounder to Brandon Dixon at first and beat Ramirez to the bag for an infield single. Roberto Pérez then ended Ramirez’s night with a long homer down the left-field line. McKay walked Tyler Naquin and Lindor followed with a long drive to left that hit the top of the fence and bounced back into play for an RBI double and a 10-1 lead.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Indians: 3B José Ramirez will miss 5-7 weeks after having surgery to repair the broken hamate bone in his right wrist. He is expected to miss the rest of the regular season, but could return if Cleveland reaches the postseason.

Tigers: Utilityman Niko Goodrum (groin) will be shut down from all baseball activities for the next two weeks and could miss the rest of the season. Goodwin’s recovery would be hampered by a lack of minor league games for a rehab assignment.

TOO MANY LONG BALLS

Cleveland’s three homers give the Tigers 109 home runs allowed at home this season — the most they’ve yielded since moving to spacious Comerica Park in 2000. Detroit is on pace to allow 144 homers at home and 254 overall, which would break the franchise records of 130 and 241, both set in 1996.

UP NEXT

The teams continue their three-game series on Wednesday night with Cleveland’s Aaron Civale (1-3, 1.82) facing Jordan Zimmermann (1-9, 6.48).

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