Bauer pitches first complete game shut out, Indians beat Tigers 8-0
DETROIT (AP) — Trevor Bauer pitched his first shutout as a pro, ending the longest winless streak of his career as the Cleveland Indians beat the Detroit Tigers 8-0 Sunday for a three-game sweep.
Bauer (5-6) gave up four hits, struck out eight and walked none. This was his 224th start since being drafted out of UCLA, including 166 in the majors.
The 28-year-old righty had been 0-5 in his previous eight starts before dominating the Tigers in his third career complete game. Harold Castro hit a leadoff triple in the second, but Bauer stranded him with a popup, a groundball and a strikeout.
Rookie Oscar Mercado drove in four runs and Jason Kipnis homered and drove in three. The Indians are 18-7 against Detroit since the beginning of last season and outscored them 25-6 in this set at Comerica Park.
Spencer Turnbull (3-6) allowed a season-high six earned runs on 10 hits and two walks in five innings.
The Tigers have lost 17 of 19 at home and are 7-22 overall since May 13.
The Indians took a 1-0 lead in the first on back-to-back, two-out doubles by Carlos Santana and Kipnis. Cleveland added three more in the third when Francisco Lindor doubled and scored on Mercado's hit-and-run infield single before Kipnis homered.
Mercado's two-run single gave the Indians a 6-0 lead in the fourth and he added an RBI double in the sixth.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Indians: RHP Mike Clevinger is scheduled to start Monday in Texas. He has been on the injured list since April 8 with an upper-back strain.
Tigers: Miguel Cabrera, who is limited to designated hitter duties due to knee problems, had a regularly scheduled day off on Sunday.
BEATING UP ON THE TIGERS
Mercado became the fourth Indians player to drive it at least four runs in a game this season. Two of them were in the weekend series, as Jake Bauers did it on Friday. The Indians also had the ninth cycle in franchise history (Bauers) and their first straight steal of home since 2005 (Leonys Martin) during the series.
WEATHER CHANGES PLANS
The game started on time, but the heavy morning rain did lead to the odd sight of the Indians bullpen working hard while Bauer was pitching the first inning. Adam Plutko, scheduled to start Wednesday in Texas, had to move his bullpen session to the beginning of the game.
UP NEXT
Indians: Cleveland travels to Texas for a three-game series starting on Monday. Clevinger (1-0, 0.00) will return to face Lance Lynn (7-4, 4.40) of the Rangers.
Tigers: Detroit will be off on Monday while traveling to Pittsburgh for a two-game visit. Daniel Norris (2-5, 4.52) is scheduled to pitch the opener for the Tigers, while the Pirates haven't announced a starter.
