Indians clinch another series win over Tigers with 12-1 rout
CLEVELAND (AP) The Cleveland Indians show no sign of letting up their dominance of the Detroit Tigers.
Cleveland remained perfect in 11 games against Detroit this season with a 12-1 victory Tuesday night.
The Indians have outscored the Tigers 77-24 in the season series. Cleveland leads Detroit by 7 1/2 games in the AL Central.
Indians manager Terry Francona hasn't spent much time analyzing his team's eye-popping numbers against the Tigers.
''Once we process yesterday we move on, let alone a month ago or week ago,'' he said. ''You play the next game and try to win. If you do it good enough people start asking those kind of questions.''
Lonnie Chisenhall was 4 for 5 with three RBIs while Carlos Santana and Tyler Naquin homered. Carlos Carrasco (5-2) allowed one run in six innings for Cleveland, which has won 13 straight at home.
Francisco Lindor, named as a reserve to the AL All-Star team, had an RBI double and turned in two outstanding defensive plays for Cleveland.
''We've been focused against everybody, we've just had a little more success against them,'' he said.
Detroit manager Brad Ausmus believes there's a simple reason for his team's problems against Cleveland.
''There's nothing baffling,'' he said. ''It's not like we haven't played good baseball. They've just played better.''
Anibal Sanchez (5-9), who replaced the injured Jordan Zimmermann, allowed seven runs in 4 1/3 innings.
Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera was ejected in the sixth after grounding out. Cabrera, thinking the ball hit off his leg, never left the batter's box and was called out at first. He was ejected when the umpires didn't reverse the call.
Chisenhall had an RBI double in the fourth and run-scoring singles in the fifth and eighth. Naquin hit a leadoff homer in the sixth while Santana homered to begin the eighth, his team-leading 19th.
Lindor's first gem came with runners on first and second in the fifth. Second baseman Jason Kipnis fielded Jose Iglesias' one-out grounder and threw to second for the force. Lindor whirled and threw to third where Jose Ramirez tagged Steven Moya.
''As soon as the ball was hit I felt Moya starting to run,'' Lindor said. ''I didn't see him but as soon as I felt that I wasn't going to throw to first base.''
Lindor robbed Justin Upton of a hit in the sixth with a diving stop deep in the hole and a strong throw to first.
Carrasco held Detroit to three hits and didn't allow a run until the sixth inning. The right-hander threw a four-hit shutout at Detroit on June 25 and struck out a season-high 14 against Toronto on Thursday.
Sanchez was named the starter when Zimmermann was placed on the 15-day disabled list Monday with a strained neck.
Cabrera was also named as a reserve to the All-Star Game. He was hitless in three at-bats before being ejected.
Tigers third baseman Nick Castellanos, who homered Monday, was scratched because of flu-like symptoms.
TAKING HIS CUTS
Indians OF Michael Brantley took batting practice Tuesday for the first time since being sidelined again May 14. He had surgery for a torn right labrum in November and began the season on the DL. He returned to the DL after playing in 11 games.
''I'm 100 percent healthy right now,'' he said. ''I bounce back great every day and am almost unrestricted in baseball activity.''
TRAINER'S ROOM
Tigers: Zimmermann will visit a specialist about his neck injury. ... LHP Daniel Norris (strained right oblique) was placed on the 15-day DL on Tuesday.
UP NEXT
Tigers: Rookie RHP Michael Fulmer (8-2, 2.17 ERA) has allowed one run or less in each of his last eight starts in which he's 6-1 with a 0.53 ERA.
Indians: RHP Josh Tomlin (9-1, 3.21 ERA) has won all three starts against the Tigers this season.
