White's home run drops Indians

The ninth-inning blast off of Chad Durbin enabled Detroit to win for the 11th time.
DETROIT (AP) -- Rondell White had been waiting for a chance to make a good impression at Comerica Park.
White hit a three-run homer off Chad Durbin in the ninth inning Saturday, giving the Detroit Tigers a 5-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians.
"That felt good, because I haven't been hitting the ball well at home this year," White said. "I was just trying to hit something in the air, and I got a ball I could drive."
Fernando Vina led off the inning with a bloop single to right off Scott Stewart (0-1), but Carlos Guillen struck out trying to bunt.
Durbin relieved and threw away a pickoff attempt for an error that advanced Vina to third. Ivan Rodriguez was intentionally walked, and White homered into the left-field stands.
Indians manager Eric Wedge said he never considered walking White to pitch to Bobby Higginson.
"You want to have a base to play with in that situation," he said. "If you walk White, then Chad has nowhere to put Higginson. That gives too much of the advantage to the hitter."
Sitting on pitch
White, 3-for-5 in his career against Durbin with two homers and a double, wasn't surprised that Durbin pitched to him.
"I knew they would do that," he said. "They would go after me with stuff outside the strike zone and try to strike me out. I just waited for something I could hit."
Detroit, which lost an AL-record 119 games last season, improved to 11-7. The Tigers didn't get their 11th win last season until May 23, when they were 11-35, but that team didn't have Vina, Guillen, Rodriguez or White.
"Obviously, we talk a lot about Pudge and the infielders, but if I've overlooked Rondell, I need to apologize to him," Tigers manager Alan Trammell said. "It's a pleasure to be able to write the names of professional hitters into the lineup every day."
Cleveland had loaded the bases in its half of the half of the ninth off Ugueth Urbina (1-0). Omar Vizquel and Jody Gerut drew one-out walks, and Travis Hafner was hit by the next pitch.
Matt Lawton popped out to shallow left field, and Vizquel tried to score from third, but was thrown out by Guillen.
"I have no problem with that play," Wedge said. "He's being aggressive and trying to steal a run."
Detroit starter Nate Robertson allowed two runs, four hits and four walks in five innings, while Cleveland's Cliff Lee gave up two runs and five hits in six innings.
Walk hurts
Detroit took a 1-0 lead in the first when Higginson walked with the bases loaded -- the third time in two days Cleveland pitchers forced home a run with a walk. The Indians walked six, a day after walking 11.
"I don't know what happened," said Lee, who walked five batters and hit two more. "I was trying to throw strikes -- maybe I was trying too hard."
The Tigers loaded the bases in the fourth, but Rodriguez grounded out.
Cleveland went ahead in the fifth on Vizquel's run-scoring infield single and Jody Gerut's RBI groundout. Matt Lawton grounded into an inning-ending 1-2-3 double play.
Detroit tied the game in the bottom half on Higginson's RBI single. Cleveland loaded the bases with one out in the sixth, Al Levine got out of the inning on two fly balls.
Gerut saved a run in the bottom of the sixth with a diving catch on Vina's line drive to right. Inge, who was on first, was pulling into third as he was doubled up.
CLEVELANDDETROIT
abrhbiabrhbi
Blliard 2b4010Vina 2b3210
Vizquel ss4011CGillen ss4000
Gerut rf3001IRdrgz c4120
AEscbr dh3010White lf4233
Hafner dh0000Hggnsn dh3012
Lawton lf5000Monroe rf4000
Merloni 3b4020CPena 1b4000
Laker c3000Munson 3b3010
VMrtnz c1000Infante 3b0000
Brssrd 1b1100Inge cf3010
Crisp cf3110
Totals31262Totals32595
Cleveland000020000--2
Detroit100010003--5
One out when winning run scored.
E--Durbin (1). DP--Cleveland 1, Detroit 2. LOB--Cleveland 12, Detroit 10. 2B--Merloni (1), IRodriguez (7), White (5). HR--White (5). SB--IRodriguez (2). CS--Infante (2). S--Crisp.
IPHRERBBSO
Cleveland
ClLee652256
Betancourt110000
ScStewart L,0-11 1-321103
Durbin012210
Detroit
Robertson542246
Levine120011
JWalker2-300011
DPatterson1 1-300000
Urbina W,1-0100020
Durbin pitched to 2 batters in the 9th. HBP--by Urbina (THafner), by ClLee (CGuillen), by ClLee (Vina). WP--JWalker. Umpires--Home, Tim McClelland; First, Jim Wolf; Second, Tony Randazzo; Third, Kevin Kelley. T--3:00. A--20,913.