The Tribe drew its largest weekend attendance total in three years with the division-rival Tigers in town. But the droves of fans that showed up at Progressive Field were instead forced to watch a trio of power displays by Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez and J.D. Martinez.
All weekend long, the heart of Detroit’s lineup battered and bruised the Indians, who were blown out, 10-4, on Sunday before a crowd of 26,023. The loss sealed a three-game series sweep for the Tigers and fed a healthy portion of payback to Cleveland (37-39) after it blanked them in a series last month.
Cabrera and the two Martinezes combined to go 13-for-37 with four home runs, three doubles and 13 RBIs in the series — and all three had their share of timely hits over the past three days. The team’s offensive outburst on Sunday, however, was largely credited to Cabrera, who finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs.
“They’re one of those teams that they can show up and win on talent,” second baseman Jason Kipnis said. “They have players that are that good. When you have Victor and Miggy, you’re going to have good at-bats and you’re going to get runs.”
Indians right-hander Josh Tomlin struggled for the second straight start, surrendering eight runs (five earned) on eight hits, as the defense committed three errors on the day to give the club a Major League-worst 67 in 2014.
Tomlin managed to keep his team within striking distance through the first four frames, pitching around leadoff hits in the third and fourth innings. But two of the aforementioned errors — a mishandled grounder by Asdrubal Cabrera and a fly ball that took a funny turn in the sun on Michael Bourn — left the door open for the Tigers in the key fifth inning — and they took advantage by plating seven runs on six hits.
The scoring surge would chase Tomlin after four-plus innings in his shortest start of the season.
“They put up a seven spot that basically took the game out of our hands,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “We’re hanging in there at that point. If we can score a couple, we’re back in it. But they just blew it open, and we helped them. They don’t need any help.”
With imperfect defense allowing the Tigers extra outs and Tomlin facing Miguel Cabrera and the two Martinezes with men already on base, the Tribe’s fate was all but sealed. Detroit would bat around in the fifth inning, with the first six batters reaching safely before an out was recorded, to stretch a two-run ballgame into a 9-0 lead it would not give up.
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