Detroit Bests Cleveland 8-5.

Jim Leyland decided to give his Detroit Tiger Squad a day off from hitting, and they responded by pounding the cover off the ball in an 8-5 win over the Cleveland Indians.

Detroit amassed eight runs on fourteen hits, knocking Indians starter Matt Ginter out of the game and handing him the loss as he gave up four runs on eight hits.

Detroit’s first run came via the long-ball.  Miguel Cabrera tagged Ginter in the second inning, hitting his 17^th homerun of the season, and gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead.

In the fourth, the Tigers would add three.  Maglio Ordonez opened the third with a single.  After a Cabrera pop-out, Matt Joyce doubled to center, moving Ordonez to third. 

Ginter struck out Gary Sheffield and appeared he might squeak out of trouble, but that pipe-dream was squelched one batter later when Edgar Renteria doubled to left, scoring both runners. 

Detroit wasn’t finished, as Brandon Inge also doubled, scoring Renteria from second.  Ginter walked Curtis Granderson, but induced an inning-ending ground-out to Placido Polanco, ending the inning and his night. 

He wasn’t the only Indians pitcher getting knocked around.  Juan Rincon gave up two runs on three hits in his one inning of relief. 

Jose Guillen greeted Rincon with a single to open up the fifth.  Cabrera singled, putting runners on first and second with one out.  Rincon struck out Joyce for the second out. 

Can you say theme of the day?  One out away from getting out of the inning just like Ginter, Rincon gave up a double to Renteria, plating both runners and giving Detroit a 6-1 lead.

The one for the Indians came in the bottom of the fourth.  Back-to-back doubles by Grady Sizemore and David Dellucci got the Indians on the board after being stymied by Detroit pitcher Armando Galarraga through three.  Galarraga had set down nine Indians in a row until the Sizemore double.

In the meantime, the Indians score a pair in the sixth.  Ben Francisco walked with one out, and scored on a Johnny Peralta triple. 

One batter later, Peralta trotted home on a Shin-Soo Choo double.  That ended Galarraga’s evening with a tag line of three runs on five hits through 5.1 innings.  Freddy Dolsi took over for Detroit and retired the Indians with no further damage.

Jensen Lewis kept the Indians in the game with his two innings of no-hit relief, proving Detroit hitters could actually be stopped.

Then again, he only proved they could be slowed down a bit until Rafael Betancourt came in and gave up a pair of hits and a pair of runs in his one inning of work.

Joyce welcomed Betancourt to the field with a lead-off single, and with two outs yet again, Inge homered to left, rounding out Detroit’s evening by making it an 8-3 Tiger Lead. 

Peralta started off the bottom half of the eighth with a single.  Choo walked, and the Tribe was on tap for a big comeback.  Kelly Shoppach struck out, and Andy Marte popped out while both runners held their positions on the field. 

Ryan Garko came through with a big two-out double, scoring Peralta.  With runners on second and third, Cabrera struck out, ending the threat.

Masa Kobayashi finished the game for the Indians with a one hit, no run ninth.

Down 8-4, the Indians offered a weak comeback attempt.  Sizemore walked and took second on a defensive indifference call.  After a Franklin Gutierrez ground-out, Francisco flied out, moving Sizemore to third.  On a Fernando Rodney wild pitch, Sizemore scored, making it 8-5.  Peralta struck out to end the game.

Game three of the four game series is a 7:05 start time.  Cleveland Lefty Cliff Lee (14-2, 2.29 ERA) goes up against Detroit Lefty Nate Robertson (6-8, 5.63 ERA)