Detroit Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander kept this one from becoming a rout, but couldn't keep it out of the loss column.
Verlander struggled again Tuesday night, giving up five earned runs for the second consecutive outing. But his offense didn't get him off the hook this time. The Indians made the early runs stand up for a 6-2 win in Cleveland.
Verlander's earned run average went from among the American League's leaders at 2.67 all the way up to 3.55 after allowing 10 runs in 12 innings in the last two starts. He's allowed 17 hits and six walks, while striking out only six in these games.
"I felt really good in the bullpen," Verlander told FOX Sports Detroit's John Keating of his pre-game session before taking the mound. "I'm working on a mechanical adjustment right now."
Verlander didn't expound on that adjustment, but did say he wanted to pitch the seventh inning despite having thrown 116 pitches. He was feeling the fruits of his adjustment after retiring nine of the last 10 batters faced.
"It started to find itself in the later innings," Verlander continued. "But the damage had been done. And that's Brad not letting me go back out to my own detriment."
Verlander was able to smile about manager Brad Ausmus removing him in a game he trailed by three runs while being three pitches away from his high for the season.
"He's a warrior," Ausmus said. "He'll keep pitching until you drag him off. He saved our bullpen."
Detroit out-scored the Baltimore Orioles 7-5 last Wednesday to get Verlander his fifth win of the season. However, top pitching prospect Trevor Bauer kept the league's top hitting team at bay most of the night to assure the Tribe will win this three-game series.
Now, after coming off 11 consecutive road wins and sweeps in Baltimore and Boston, the Tigers are trying to avoid their first three-game losing streak of the season in the noon game Wednesday against Cleveland.
"Baseball is a crazy game," said Tigers right fielder Torii Hunter. "A team you think you should actually beat comes at you...Those guys came out swinging and the young guy (Bauer) had good stuff. There's a bright future for him."
Hunter, the second batter in the game, blasted a 429-foot homer off Bauer. But the lead was short-lived.
Verlander allowed one run in the first inning on three consecutive singles, but got out of the inning with a double play. However, six straight Indians reached base to begin the second inning. No. 9 hitter Mike Aviles' two-run double was the big blow of a four-run inning.
Verlander's early pitches often caught too much of the plate and were left up in the hitting zone.
"Justin had a little trouble with his command today," Ausmus said. "He had a little trouble getting ahead of them early in the game. But if you don't get ahead, you put them in the driver's seat even if you are as good as Justin Verlander."
Verlander acknowledged the focus Indians batters showed, but added, "I just didn't have great command of my fastball, and found myself in a lot of 1-0 and 2-0 counts."
The 11 hits were the most surrendered by Verlander since he gave up 12 to the Chicago White Sox in an 11-4 loss on July 9, 2013.
However, Verlander shut it down after the first two innings against Cleveland. The Indians twice had two on with less than two outs, but he denied them adding to the lead. Then he found his groove in the last three innings, and Verlander hopes that carries over into his next start in Detroit on Sunday against the Texas Rangers.
