Tigers rally to sweep Indians

Tigers manager Jim Leyland was feeling pretty lucky after this victory.

Carlos Guillen scored the winning run on fill-in closer Chris Perez’s wild pitch, capping a three-run ninth inning and giving Detroit a 9-8 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Sunday.

The Tigers became just the second team since 1986 to win a nine-inning game while stranding at least 18 runners. Detroit’s 18 runners left on base matched its most since 1920.

“This is not a game we should have won, but we did,” Leyland said.

Guillen hit a one-out RBI double in the ninth to get the Tigers within one and put runners on second and third. After Brandon Inge grounded out, Perez (0-1) issued consecutive walks to Ramon Santiago and pinch-hitter Johnny Damon to force in the tying run.

“I can’t walk Santiago in that situation,” Perez said. “He’s a bench player, and I’ve got to make him hit the ball with two out, but everything was leaking away from me, and I just couldn’t make the right adjustment. The same thing happened with Damon.”

His first pitch to Scott Sizemore bounced past Lou Marson, allowing Guillen to scamper home.

Phil Coke (1-0) pitched a scoreless ninth for the Tigers, who trailed 7-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning.

“That was a heck of a comeback,” said Sizemore, who had three hits in a nice finish to his first week in the majors. “I’m glad that I was able to get a few knocks and help us pull that out.”

Perez is serving as Cleveland’s closer while Kerry Wood is on the disabled list with a strained muscle below his right shoulder. The Indians also were without outfielder Grady Sizemore (stiff back).

Without Sizemore and facing Tigers ace Justin Verlander, Cleveland still got off to a fast start.

The Indians loaded the bases with no outs in the first and Travis Hafner followed with a sacrifice fly. After Jhonny Peralta struck out, Matt LaPorta walked and Luis Valbuena lifted a 1-2 pitch just inside the right-field foul pole for his first grand slam.

“The Indians have a great team, and you have to make good pitches to get them out,” Verlander said.