Major League Baseball

Tigers stay unbeaten, outlast Indians 9-6

Published Apr. 11, 2015 8:38 p.m. ET

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CLEVELAND (AP) With one of baseball's most fearsome lineups, the Detroit Tigers can bash their way to wins. With a strong rotation, they can outpitch teams.

And sometimes, they just simply find a way.

So far this season, they're perfect.

Ian Kinsler hit an RBI single and Yoenis Cespedes doubled in two runs during Detroit's four-run ninth inning as the Tigers stayed unbeaten with a 9-6 win over the Cleveland Indians on Saturday.

Kinsler's fourth hit - a single off closer Cody Allen (0-1) - snapped a 5-all tie and helped the Tigers improve to 5-0 for the first time since 2006. The Tigers were forced to rally twice after Cleveland's Jerry Sands delivered a pair of clutch doubles and became an instant cult hero to Indians fans.

Miguel Cabrera also had four hits for Detroit, which has now outscored its opponents 39-11.

''Our hitters feed off each other and like to do well,'' Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. ''It's kind of a competition between them for who has the best game every day. A lot of times, it's Miggy or Victor (Martinez), but Ian came through late here.''

The Tigers also improved to 17-5 at Progressive Field since 2013.

''It's not easy to win games here, this is the major leagues,'' Ausmus said.

Ian Krol (1-0) got the win despite giving up an eighth-inning double to Sands.

Indians catcher Yan Gomes sustained a potentially serious injury to his right leg in the ninth. Gomes' leg was struck by Tigers outfielder Rajai Davis as he tried to keep his foot on the plate for a force. Davis slid hard through the catcher's leg, and Gomes remained on the ground for several minutes. He did not put any weight on his leg as he was helped off the field.

Cleveland manager Terry Francona said Gomes sprained his knee and will undergo further tests, including an MRI, on Sunday. Francona did not think Davis made a dirty play.

''Gomer was just trying to hang on to the plate and it looked to me like he clipped him,'' Francona said.

Moments after Gomes went down, Cespedes doubled with two outs into the right-field corner to give Detroit a three-run lead.

The Tigers were able to overcome starter David Price's throwing error, a minor injury to Martinez and Sands' star turn to stay perfect in 2015.

Cy Young winners Price and Corey Kluber both pitched well enough to win, but came away with no-decisions.

Price didn't allow an earned run in 5 2-3 innings, and may have cost himself his second win with a throwing error in the sixth, when the Indians took the lead and chased the left-hander. Price fielded a comebacker by Gomes on what should have been an inning-ending double play, but his error kept the Indians' inning alive.

''I take pride in being a good fielder, and that ball Gomes hit back to me is a play I've got to make,'' Price said. ''Both teams battled all day. Fortunately, my teammates picked me up.''

Kluber gave up a leadoff homer to Anthony Gose on his second pitch in the first, but the right-hander found his groove and finished with 10 strikeouts in 6 1-3 innings.

Trailing 3-2, the Tigers scored three in the seventh as Kinsler, Cabrera and Martinez hit RBI singles.

After Martinez lined his single to center, Detroit's designated hitter pulled up as he reached the bag. Following the game, Ausmus said the five-time All-Star is fine and will likely play Sunday.

RELAX

Tigers SS Jose Iglesias, who leads the AL with a .600 average, didn't start but entered as a pinch-runner. The 25-year-old Cuban missed all of last season with stress fractures in his legs. Iglesias played in the first four games, collecting a team-high nine hits. ''I don't take anything for granted after missing a year of baseball,'' he said.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Tigers: RHP Justin Verlander (strained right triceps) will throw a 40-pitch bullpen session Sunday. The former Cy Young winner is on the disabled list for the first time in his 11-year career.

Indians: LHP Marc Rzepczynski, who was struck on the foot by a grounder Friday, was available to pitch. In Friday's 8-4 loss in the opener, the reliever committed a wild throwing error, which Francona was able to laugh about. ''If it was hockey, they would've called icing because there was nobody on that side of the line,'' he cracked.

UP NEXT

Tigers: Rookie LHP Kyle Lobstein makes his second career start at Progressive Field, where he struck out 10 in a no-decision Sept. 2.

Indians: LHP T.J. House, who went 4-0 with a 2.67 ERA against AL Central teams last year, makes his season debut after winning a job in the opening-day rotation during training camp.

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