Chisenhall’s single caps Tribe’s ninth-inning rally

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

For a few moments Sunday, the Indians could briefly stop thinking about the epic slide that has engulfed their season.

Lonnie Chisenhall’s bases-loaded single with one out in the ninth inning capped a two-run rally off Detroit closer Jose Velverde and gave Cleveland a 7-6 win over Detroit, dealing the playoff-hopeful Tigers a crucial loss.

For a team that was 10-37 since July 26 going into the game, the win finally provided some relief from the skid that’s sent the once-promising season skidding out of control. The players stormed out of the dugout and mobbed Chisenhall as if the Indians were the team fighting for a postseason berth.

“It’s definitely exciting,” Chisenhall said. “You like to win games like that.”

The comeback finally gave manager Manny Acta something to smile about.

“Going into the ninth, for some reason, we felt good about our chances,” he said. “We had the right people up. We were at home. We felt good about it working out.”

The game featured several twists and turns. The Indians rallied from an early 3-0 deficit to take a one-run lead after six innings. Miguel Cabrera’s three-run homer in the seventh off Joe Smith put Detroit ahead 6-5 and it appeared the Tigers were ready to sweep the three-game series.