The good news for the Tigers is J.D. Martinez remains hot, the Chicago White Sox remain cold and David Price will now get to relax a bit in the dugout.
The bad news is the Tigers' dominance over the Cleveland Indians ended, at least for one game.
Martinez hit his fourth home run of the road trip and 17th of the season in the seventh inning Wednesday afternoon in Cleveland but it wasn't enough as the Indians won, 8-2.
The Tigers had won three in a row as Price developed his "perfect sit," in which he or a designated stand-in had to stay in one place in the dugout without leaving. No bathroom breaks, no standing up to stretch or cheer for a Martinez bomb, only standing for "God Bless America."
When Price pitched Tuesday, it fell to Kyle Ryan to do the "perfect sit."
Apparently, the Indians didn't need the "perfect sit" as they got a near-perfect outing from Carlos Carrasco, who held the Tigers to two runs on five hits while walking one and striking out seven in eight innings.
"That's probably the sharpest we've seen him, certainly the sharpest we've seen him this year," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus told FOX Sports Detroit's Johnny Kane on the post-game show. "Fastball-slider combination, guys were having trouble picking up the slider, coming out of the same arm slot. Really he did a nice job. There are days you just gotta tip your cap to the other guy."
The Tigers' offense suffered without Miguel Cabrera.
Before the game, Ausmus told reporters in Cleveland, "Even Superman needs a day off."
Cabrera is batting .619 (26-42) against the Indians this season and has hit .375 (9-24) with a double, a home run and three RBI lifetime against Carrasco.
Buck Farmer, making a spot start in place of Justin Verlander, who has mid-back stiffness, wasn't terrible, but did allow five runs on eight hits while walking two and striking out seven, including five straight strikeouts from the last out in the first to the first out in the third.
The big blows were a two-run double by Carlos Santana in the third and a solo home run to rookie Francisco Lindor in the fifth.
"There was a couple pitches, one to Lindor and the one to Santana, that just got away from me, and they made me pay, especially Santana, the two-run double," Farmer told Kane. "Other than that, everything was fine. Take away that one inning and we're either tie game there, take away a couple pitches, and we're in the game."
The Tigers were back in the game when Martinez hit his two-run home run in the seventh to cut the Indians' lead to 5-2.
"I think it was just a slider and I think that was the only mistake he made to me," Martinez told Kane. "I thought that he was trying to throw it away and it just left it over the middle of the plate."
Martinez has reached base safely in 17 straight games.
The bullpen could not hold it there.
Tom Gorzelanny, Kyle Ryan, Al Alburquerque and Blaine Hardy let the Indians tack on more runs.
"We were really trying to save guys' arms today when we got behind because we want to have these guys available (Thursday) as well," Ausmus said. "So we kind of broke up all the pitches and the outs and it looks like we should be good going forward."
Ausmus also said Ryan, who threw 12 pitches, is still scheduled to start Saturday.
The bullpen will also get bolstered with the addition of Bruce Rondon, who will be recalled from Triple-A Toledo Thursday as Farmer was sent back down.
Rondon is 2-2 with a 7.11 ERA in 13 games but has not allowed a run in his last five outings.
The White Sox arrive in town for a four-game series starting Thursday at Comerica Park.
The White Sox have lost 10 of 13 after their 6-1 loss to the Minnesota Twins Wednesday.
