Tigers Stay Unbeaten, Outlast Indians, 9-6

CLEVELAND (AP) — 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 had to rally twice after Cleveland's Jerry Sands delivered a pair of clutch doubles.

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

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.

Tigers manager Brad Ausmus agreed.

"He's one of the best catchers in the game, so I hope he's fine for his sake and for the Indians' sake," Ausmus 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, an injury to Victor Martinez and Sands' star turn to stay perfect in 2015.

With the Indians four outs from another loss, Sands, serenaded by Cleveland fans with chants of "Jer-ry, Jer-ry," delivered his second, two-out, two-run double to tie it at 5. Sands gave Cleveland a 3-2 lead in the sixth with a two-run double before the Tigers scored three times in the seventh.

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.

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.

Down 2-0 and unable to mount any threat against Price, the Indians went ahead 3-2 thanks to Sands, who two games into his Indians career has become an instant cult hero. He received lengthy standing ovations both times he went to the outfield following his hits.

But after Sands' double in the sixth, the Tigers answered with three runs 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. Ausmus and a trainer came out to check on the five-time All-Star, who left the game with an unspecified injury to his left leg.

The Indians were without their best position player, Michael Brantley, who missed his third game with a troublesome back.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Tigers: RHP Justin Verlander (strained right triceps) will throw a 40-pitch bullpen session Sunday. The former Cy Young winner, who is on the disabled list for the first time in his 11-year career, tossed a side session Friday and Ausmus said Verlander "is moving in the right direction."

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 a day later. "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. He made seven appearances over the final six weeks of the 2014 season, going 1-2 with a 4.35 ERA.

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. The Indians went 7-0 in his starts after Aug. 20 last season.

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