Scherzer wins 4th straight as Tigers beat Indians
CLEVELAND — Max Scherzer allowed two runs over seven innings to win his fourth straight decision and the Detroit Tigers beat the Cleveland Indians for only the second time in eight games this season with a 5-3 victory Wednesday night.
Quintin Berry had three hits and drove in two runs to help Scherzer (10-5) win for the first time in four career starts at Progressive Field.
Scherzer, whose only mistake came on Casey Kotchman’s two-run homer in the third, held the Indians to three hits, struck out eight and walked four.
Jose Valverde gave up Travis Hafner’s one-out homer in the ninth before recording his 19th save in 23 chances.
The Tigers, who have won 14 of 17, remained tied for first in the AL Central with Chicago, while the third-place Indians fell four games out.
Derek Lowe (8-9) allowed five runs in six innings, but wasn’t helped by shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera’s throwing errors on back-to-back plays that allowed two runs to score in the second.
Lowe, the Indians’ best pitcher the first two months of the season, is 2-8 with a 7.59 ERA in his last 12 starts. The 39-year-old right-hander was 6-1 with a 2.05 ERA in his first eight outings but has been rocked since, allowing 89 hits and 54 earned runs in 64 innings.
Miguel Cabrera’s RBI single in the first gave Detroit the early lead. Singles by Austin Jackson and Berry put runners on first and third before Cabrera lined a single to right-center. Jackson scored and Berry took third, but Cabrera was thrown out trying for second to end the rally.
Lowe continued to struggle in the second when he was hurt by Cabrera’s shoddy defense. Alex Avila doubled with one out and Omar Infante sent a routine grounder to short for what should have been the second out, but Cabrera’s throw to first pulled Kotchman off the bag with Avila taking third.
Cabrera then made a backhand stop of Jackson’s ground ball, but his one-hop throw skipped past second baseman Jason Kipnis and rolled into right field. Avila scored and the runners moved to second and third. Berry’s single made it 3-0.
Kotchman’s two-run homer — the Indians’ first hit — closed the gap to 3-2. After Shin-Soo Choo doubled with one out, Kipnis drew a two-out walk, but the inning ended when Michael Brantley flied out to deep right.
Scherzer grew stronger as the game went on. He retired 13 of the last 15 he faced after walking Kipnis and needed only five pitches to get through the seventh.
Lowe walked the bases loaded to start the fifth, but the Tigers scored only one run on Prince Fielder’s sacrifice fly. Berry added an RBI single in the sixth.
Lowe gave up four earned runs and allowed eight hits.
Cabrera has 12 errors this season, including a three-error game June 17 against Pittsburgh.
NOTES: RHP Roberto Hernandez, formerly known as Fausto Carmona, will make his first rehab start Thursday since returning to the U.S. Hernandez is serving a three-week suspension handed down by MLB for age and identity fraud. He will face West Michigan, whose catcher is Patrick Leyland, the sons of the Tigers manager. ... RHP Anibal Sanchez, acquired from Miami on Monday, will throw a bullpen session Thursday and is scheduled to make his first AL start Saturday at Toronto. ... Indians OF Aaron Cunningham was designated for assignment, clearing room on the 25-man roster for utility man Brent Lillibridge, who was acquired Tuesday from the Red Sox in exchange for minor league RHP Jose De La Torre. ... The teams wrap up their three-game series Thursday night with Tigers RHP Justin Verlander (11-5, 2.42 ERA) facing RHP Zach McAllister (4-2, 3.21 ERA).