Fausto Carmona struck out a career-high 10 and finally got his 14th win as the Indians beat Detroit 5-2 on Wednesday night to snap a four-game losing streak, split the two-game series and regain a share of the division lead with the Tigers.
Franklin Gutierrez hit a two-run homer for Cleveland, which is 14-18 since the All-Star break.
"It feels like we've been fighting ourselves out there," closer Joe Borowski said. "It was good to see different guys contribute. I hope that's an indication of things to come."
Carmona (14-7) allowed one earned run and four hits in eight innings. He snapped a personal three-game losing streak, a skid during which the Indians scored just two runs, by getting his first win since beating Boston 1-0 on July 25.
"Whew, Carmona was something," Tigers third baseman Brandon Inge said. "First of all, he has an incredible sinker, but he's throwing a slider and changeup for strikes, too. All night, I saw one, maybe two pitches up in the zone. Everything else was on the black or at the knees
-- and with movement."
In other AL games on Wednesday, it was Tampa Bay 6, Boston 5; Baltimore 6, New York 3 in 10 innings; Minnesota 6, Seattle 1; Toronto 2, Los Angeles 1; Texas 4, Kansas City 3; and Oakland 3, Chicago 2.
Cleveland has won five of its last 18 home games after starting the season 33-13 at Jacobs Field.
The Tigers and Indians, who have moved in and out of first place the past few weeks, will play six more times. Cleveland visits Detroit from Aug. 21-23, and the Tigers return to Cleveland from Sept. 17-19.
"You have to put a lot more stock in a game like this," Indians manager Eric Wedge said. "This was a big win for us."
Gutierrez hit a two-run homer in the second off Jair Jurrjens (0-1), a 21-year-old right-hander who was called up from Double-A Erie to make his major league debut. The first native of Curacao to pitch in the majors, Jurrjens gave up four runs and five hits in seven innings.
"I was in a fantasy world," Jurrjens said. "This was the first time my dad saw me pitch (as a professional). I recognized his whistle in the crowd. That was the best feeling ever. I thought I pitched OK, but that Carmona was incredible. He has the best two-seamer in the game."
The Indians scored once in the eighth and Borowski, who gave up four runs in the 10th inning of Tuesday's 6-2 loss, worked the ninth for his 33rd save.
"It was important to stop the slide and get the offense going a little bit," Cleveland's Travis Hafner said. "We have a lot of work to do still. But it's a start."
Devil Rays 6, Red Sox 5
At Boston, Al Reyes struck out Manny Ramirez with two on for the final out for the Devil Rays' dramatic end to a three-game losing streak. Andy Sonnanstine (2-8) took a shutout into the seventh inning and light-hitting Tampa Bay roughed up Daisuke Matsuzaka (13-9) in taking a six-run lead.
Boston cut it to 6-5 in the ninth on Julio Lugo's RBI double with no outs. Reyes struck out Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis before David Ortiz walked. He struck out Ramirez swinging.
Carlos Pena drove in three runs and the Devil Rays scored five runs in the first three innings, matching their total for the previous 39.