DETROIT -- Saturday's game was just the kind of game the Tigers needed.
After losing four in a row -- getting blown out in two and scoring only eight total runs -- the Tigers needed a game in which everything went smoothly.
That's exactly what happened in the 4-1 victory over the Cleveland Indians in front of 35,473 fans at Comerica Park and a national audience on FOX Sports 1.
"It was big. We needed to win," catcher Alex Avila said. "We didn't play good baseball the last four days. Today we were able to put a good game together. We got good pitching, made some nice plays on defense and got some big hits, so it was a good all-around game."
Tigers starter Alfredo Simon lasted 6 2/3 innings, allowing just one run on six hits while walking two and striking out three to improve to 4-0.
"He just didn't look like he broke a sweat out there," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "I saw him get mad at himself on one pitch, and that's as much emotion as I've seen him show since he got to spring training."
Avila said the pitch Ausmus was referring to came in the seventh inning when he got Jose Ramirez to pop out for the second out of the inning.
"He fell behind 3-0, on that 2-0 pitch that he fell behind 3-0, I could tell that he was a little like, 'Let's go' and then he locked it back in and was able to throw a strike and get him to pop up," Avila said.
Michael Brantley, who owns both Simon and the Tigers, had a 4-for-4 day, driving in the Indians' only run on an RBI single in the third inning.
It is Brantley's ninth four-hit game, the last three of which have come against the Tigers.
"He is a Tiger killer," Ausmus said. "At least he has been since I've been here. I'm sure there will be times we will walk him, but today wasn't one of those days."
Brantley is now 10-for-15 lifetime against Simon.
Defensively, the Tigers came through for Simon, particularly when shortstop Jose Iglesias robbed pinch hitter Mike Aviles of a base hit in the seventh.
"Iglesias took away a line drive and I'm really happy with that," Simon said. "After that, say OK, let's go, you got to get two more outs. Everything worked really good today, I'm happy."
The Tigers are happy to have veteran left-hander Tom Gorzelanny to deal with the Indians' many lefties and switch-hitters.
Gorzelanny pitched 1 1/3 innings and got himself out of trouble by getting Brandon Moss to ground into an inning-ending double play in the eighth.
"I said, 'Let's go first-pitch, fastball-sinker in,' because I think sometimes Moss, you can catch him guessing," Avila said. "In that situation, normally you think left on left, first pitch breaking ball, but I thought maybe we could get him with the sinker, get a ground ball, double play, couldn't write it up any better than that."
Joakim Soria was his usual flawless self, pitching a perfect ninth to tie for the league lead in saves with six. New York's Andrew Miller and Los Angeles' Huston Street also have six saves.
"I feel like my command is the key right now, on my fastball and all of my pitches," Soria said. "I was able to locate where I wanted. It was just that last hitter I fell behind in the count. But I was able to make pitches and get him out."
The Tigers had to make a quick adjustment as they found out at 12:50 p.m. that instead of facing hard-throwing right-hander Trevor Bauer, they would instead see softer-tossing lefty TJ House.
"A lot of guys were by the cage, and Wally (Joyner, hitting coach), who's left-handed, immediately started throwing batting practice for these guys, so they could see something from the left side," Ausmus said.
Victor Martinez drove in three runs batting right-handed as the Indians walked Miguel Cabrera unintentionally in the first and then three more times intentionally in the third, fourth and sixth.
"The two singles right-handed were obviously big," Ausmus said. "Big runs to get us on the board early."
Rajai Davis was 2-for-4 with three runs scored and three stolen bases, giving him a team-high six.
"That's what I've been doing my whole career, stealing bases," Davis said. "I just try to go out and take advantage of opportunities."
Ian Kinsler also had an RBI double and a stolen base. Iglesias also stole a base.
"Always important to win, especially when we were losing the last few games," Soria said. "We got a really good outing from Simon and Gorzelanny was good. So everything clicked for us today and we stopped that streak."
