Tigers 12, Indians 1

[September 02, 2014]  Tigers 12, Indians 1: Miguel Cabrera snapped a career-long, 27-game homer drought by belting a pair during a four-hit effort as visiting Detroit rolled over Cleveland in the opener of a four-game series.

Cabrera knocked in three runs and scored four times and Victor Martinez went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer while J.D. Martinez and Tyler Collins also went deep for the Tigers. David Price (13-10) allowed one run, eight hits and struck out eight over seven innings as Detroit remained one-half game behind Kansas City in the American League Central while increasing its lead to 1 1/2 games over Seattle in the wild card race.

Cleveland ace Corey Kluber (13-9) lost his third consecutive start, yielding five runs on seven hits over 2 2/3 innings – his shortest outing of the season. Michael Bourn and Lonnie Chisenhall each collected a pair of hits for the Indians, who trail the Royals by 4 1/2 games in the division and the Tigers by four for the second wild-card spot.

Ian Kinsler opened the game with a triple and trotted home when Cabrera launched an 0-1 pitch from Kluber over the left-field fence. After Carlos Santana’s RBI double in the bottom of the first, Victor Martinez belted a two-run shot to right-center in the third and J.D. Martinez followed with a solo blast to right for a 5-1 lead.

The Tigers added to their lead in the seventh, loading the bases against Zach McAllister before Alex Avila and Eugenio Suarez delivered RBI singles against Nick Hagadone. Cabrera hit his 19th homer in the eighth while Nick Castellanos notched his third hit and Avila singled in his second run later in the frame.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Cabrera, who was rested Sunday with a sore right ankle, recorded his 29th multi-homer game and has registered at least four hits in a game 36 times. … Detroit OF Steven Moya notched his first major-league hit and scored on Collins’ three-run blast in ninth inning – his first big-league homer. … Cleveland INF-OF Mike Aviles left the game in the fourth due to illness while the Indians activated DH Jason Giambi from the 60-day disabled list and he struck out in the ninth.

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