(CLEVELAND) – Mike Clevinger wanted to make the most of his strict pitch count as the strikeouts piled up. Clevinger matched his career high with 12 strikeouts and 100 pitches over six innings, as the Cleveland Indians continued their dominance of the Detroit Tigers with a 7-2 win on Wednesday night. The right-hander struck out the side in the first two innings and had nine strikeouts through four in his fourth start since returning from a sprained left ankle suffered on June 17 at Texas. The Indians moved within four games of AL Central-leading Minnesota, the closest they have been to first place since May 14. Cleveland has won 10 straight over the Tigers and leads the season series 11-1. Clevinger (3-2) allowed one run on six hits in his third double-digit strikeout game of 2019, coaxing the Tigers into a career-high 23 swings-and-misses. Oscar Mercado, who leads AL rookies with a .286 batting average, had a two-run double and Jose Ramirez went 3 for 4 and scored twice for Cleveland. Mike Freeman added two hits, including a two-out bunt single in the seventh that scored Ramirez and extended the lead to 3-1. Nicholas Castellanos hit a solo homer in the top of the eighth for the Tigers, but the Indians broke the game open with four runs in the bottom-half off reliever Joe Jimenez. ...... {LISTEN}.
Detroit starter Spencer Turnbull (3-9) fell to the Indians for the fourth time in four starts this season. The right-hander pitched six-plus innings, giving up three runs with three strikeouts. The Tigers have lost eight of their last nine games and are 4-23 since June 13.