EditorsNote: Fixed spelling of Castellanos in 3rd graf
Mike Clevinger matched a career high with 12 strikeouts, and rookie Oscar Mercado and Greg Allen each drove in a pair of runs as the host Cleveland Indians recorded a 7-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday.
Francisco Lindor belted a homer to ignite a four-run eighth inning for the Indians, who have won 10 of their last 12 to move within four games of the American League Central-leading Twins. Minnesota dropped a 14-4 decision to the New York Mets earlier Wednesday.
Nicholas Castellanos launched a solo homer and Jeimer Candelario had an RBI single for the Tigers, who have lost 11 of their past 13 contests overall and 11 of 12 against Cleveland this season.
Clevinger (3-2), who allowed one run on six hits and a walk in six innings, set the tone by striking out six in the first two innings. The 28-year-old fanned Christin Stewart in the sixth inning for his 12th strikeout, matching his total on April 1 in the Indians' 5-3 win over the Chicago White Sox.
Mike Freeman executed a surprise drag bunt with two outs in the seventh inning to give Cleveland a 3-1 lead. Jose Ramirez, who had three hits, raced home while Freeman beat a late throw by diving head-first into first base.
Castellanos brought Detroit back within one run in the top of the eighth by depositing a first-pitch changeup from Nick Wittgren over the wall in right field. It was Castellanos' 10th homer of the year.
Cleveland, however, answered in the bottom of the inning as Lindor jumped on an 0-1 changeup from Joe Jimenez for his 15th homer of the season. Jason Kipnis added an RBI single before Allen's two-run double into right-center field staked the Indians to a 7-2 lead.
Mercado recorded his third straight two-RBI performance of the series by slapping a 3-1 fastball from Spencer Turnbull (3-9) past the glove of shortstop Harold Castro in the third inning. Freeman and Tyler Naquin scored to give the Indians an early 2-0 advantage.
Detroit halved the deficit in the sixth inning as Castellanos ripped a one-out double to left field before coming around to score on Candelario's two-out single to right.
Wittgren got the final five outs for his second save of the season.
--Field Level Media
