The Indians were desperate for a starter to shut down the Tigers, who have clawed their pitchers to pieces all season. They turned Wednesday to Carlos Carrasco, who finally tamed them.
Granted, merciful Brad Ausmus rested Cleveland killer Miguel Cabrera. But Carrasco performed well, allowing two runs on five hits in eight innings to improve his record to 9-6. He walked one and fanned seven.
Carrasco had a shutout going until J.D. Martinez blasted a two-run homer to the porch in left field in the seventh. He then allowed a single before retiring the next five batters in lowering his ERA to 4.16.
The right-hander broke a mini-slump in which he had allowed 11 runs on 24 hits over his last 16 1/3 innings covering three starts. He also avenged a battering by Detroit earlier in the year.