Rick Porcello and the Detroit Tigers took an even bigger stranglehold on the AL Central after Tuesday night’s 10-1 victory over the Cleveland Indians.
The Tigers started their total domination of the Indians early tonight too jumping on Tribe starter Fausto Carmona for seven runs and never looking back. Rick Porcello started what he and many Tigers fans hope to be a nice month of September after going 6.1 innings allowing only one run on three hits while waking one and striking out one for his 13th win of the season.
The Tigers have now won seven of their past eight games, but more importantly they’ve won their past five, three against White Sox and two against the Indians, two teams that currently trail them in the AL Central.
“We have to feel great,” said Victor Martinez, who knocked in three runs and has 85 RBIs this season. “As a team, we have to feel great. I’m not going to lie to you. But at the same time, we still have some work to do.”
With tonight’s win the Tigers are now a season 18 games above the .500 mark and inching closer and closer to their first division title since 1987.
“You just don’t know what can happen,” Martinez said. “This is baseball. That’s why you never take anything for granted. You keep battling until the end and see what happens.
“Almost there.”
| Detroit | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | LOB | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson, A, CF | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | .258 |
| Dirks, RF | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .257 |
| Young, D, LF | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .276 |
| Inge, 3B | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .191 |
| Cabrera, Mi, 1B | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | .331 |
| Raburn, LF | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .239 |
| Martinez, V, DH | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | .325 |
| Avila, C | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | .299 |
| Santos, C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .125 |
| Peralta, Jh, SS | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .307 |
| a-Rhymes, PH-2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .211 |
| Kelly, 3B-LF-1B | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .236 |
| Santiago, 2B-SS | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .255 |
| Totals | 39 | 10 | 15 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 18 | .274 |
a-Flied out for Peralta, Jh in the 9th.
| Cleveland | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | LOB | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sizemore, G, CF | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .230 |
| a-Duncan, PH-LF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .252 |
| Fukudome, RF | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .278 |
| Cabrera, A, SS | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .275 |
| Santana, C, 1B | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | .236 |
| Thome, DH | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .233 |
| 1-Phelps, C, PR-DH | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .143 |
| Kipnis, 2B | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .282 |
| Valbuena, 2B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .152 |
| Chisenhall, 3B | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | .223 |
| b-Donald, PH | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | .293 |
| Carrera, LF-CF | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .243 |
| Marson, C | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .225 |
| Totals | 31 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 9 | .247 |
a-Struck out for Sizemore, G in the 8th. b-Struck out for Chisenhall in the 9th.
1-Ran for Thome in the 9th.
2B: Dirks (10, Carmona), Cabrera, Mi (39, Carmona), Jackson, A (21, Judy).
TB: Jackson, A 2; Dirks 2; Young, D 2; Cabrera, Mi 4; Martinez, V 2; Avila; Peralta, Jh 2; Kelly 2; Santiago.
RBI: Martinez, V 3 (85), Peralta, Jh 2 (77), Kelly (17), Santiago (24), Cabrera, Mi (94).
2-out RBI: Martinez, V 3; Peralta, Jh; Kelly; Santiago.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Jackson, A; Kelly; Peralta, Jh; Martinez, V.
SF: Peralta, Jh.
GIDP: Cabrera, Mi; Santiago.
Team RISP: 6-for-15.
Team LOB: 8.
HR: Fukudome (6, 7th inning off Porcello, 0 on, 0 out).
TB: Fukudome 4; Cabrera, A; Kipnis; Valbuena.
RBI: Fukudome (28).
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Chisenhall; Donald 2.
Team RISP: 1-for-4.
Team LOB: 6.
FIELDING
DP: 2 (Chisenhall-Valbuena-Santana, C, Valbuena-Cabrera, A-Santana, C).
| Detroit | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Porcello(W, 13-8) | 6.1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4.87 |
| Coke | 1.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4.47 |
| Alburquerque | 0.2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2.15 |
| Schlereth | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3.68 |
| Totals | 9.0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 4.11 |
WP: Durbin 2, Hagadone.
Balk: Carmona.
Pitches-strikes: Porcello 75-48, Coke 22-17, Alburquerque 26-14, Schlereth 3-3, Carmona 41-24, Durbin 39-20, Hagadone 26-20, Judy 35-18, Herrmann 9-6.
Groundouts-flyouts: Porcello 13-4, Coke 0-0, Alburquerque 0-0, Schlereth 0-0, Carmona 3-0, Durbin 2-3, Hagadone 1-1, Judy 1-1, Herrmann 1-1.
Batters faced: Porcello 23, Coke 5, Alburquerque 5, Schlereth 1, Carmona 13, Durbin 12, Hagadone 7, Judy 10, Herrmann 3.
Inherited runners-scored: Coke 2-0, Schlereth 3-0, Durbin 1-1.
Umpires: HP: Larry Vanover. 1B: Brian Gorman. 2B: Tony Randazzo. 3B: Jim Wolf.
Weather: 66 degrees, cloudy.
Wind: 15 mph, In from RF.
T: 2:46.
Att: 27,544.
Source: MLB.com, Mlive.com
