Tribe sweeps Tigers as win streak hits 9

Associated Press

DETROIT

The Cleveland Indians are playing so well, they’re piling up wins two at a time.

The AL Central leaders completed their second doubleheader sweep in three days, routing Detroit 10-0 Friday night for their ninth straight victory.

Mike Clevinger pitched six sharp innings to finish off the day-night twinbill against the Tigers. Cleveland won the opener 3-2 on Francisco Lindor’s tiebreaking single in the ninth.

On Wednesday, the Indians beat the New York Yankees 2-1 and 9-4. Cleveland was off Thursday.

“I told these guys that we were going to have to play a lot of baseball in three days whether we liked it or not, so we might as well play well,” Indians manager Terry Francona said.

Roberto Perez homered and drove in three runs to back Clevinger (8-5). Perez is hitting .435 (10 for 23) in a seven-game hitting streak.

Clevinger allowed three hits, struck out six and walked one. In three starts against the Tigers this year — all wins — he has given up one run in 18 innings.

“He was great at hitting the corners, but it was Roberto who was keeping him there,” Francona said.

Buck Farmer (3-2) allowed five runs on three hits and three walks in three-plus innings.

“I wasn’t putting away hitters,” he said. “The game started speeding up, and I didn’t control it.”

Geovanny Urshela hit a two-run double in the second. The Indians scored three more in the fourth, two on a single by Perez.

Perez homered to start a five-run sixth.

The opener was tied at 2 in the ninth when pinch-hitter Jay Bruce tripled with one out off Shane Greene (3-3). Lindor singled through the drawn-in infield.

The Tigers loaded the bases with two out in the ninth inning against closer Cody Allen (2-6), who had allowed the tying run in the eighth.

Francona brought in Joe Smith, and he retired Miguel Cabrera on a line drive to Lindor at shortstop for his first save.

Detroit was playing for the first time since trading Justin Verlander to the Houston Astros and Justin Upton to the Los Angeles Angels a day earlier.

“We have to get used to having a lot of young players out there for the next month,” Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. “Experience is a huge asset at the major league level, so there are going to be some bumps.”