DETROIT -- Their starting pitcher left the field grimacing as the team's trainers helped him back to the dugout. Fortunately for the Cleveland Indians, they had a former starter to call upon and rescue their bid to sweep the Detroit Tigers.

Trevor Bauer warmed up quickly and provided 3 1/3 innings of emergency relief in place of Carlos Carrasco, who suffered a left hamstring injury during the third inning. The efforts of Cleveland's bullpen allowed it to complete a three-game sweep of the Tigers 6-3 on Sunday at Comerica Park.

Bauer (1-0), who was ticketed to the bullpen at the end of spring training, allowed two runs on four hits while striking out four.

"It's easy to say, 'Hey, stay ready because you're going to get an opportunity.' But to his credit, he's really stayed ready," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "To be able to throw 64 pitches and keep the game right in check is a tribute to him."

Carrasco is headed to the disabled list with the injury, suffered when he raced over to cover first base on Andrew Romine's grounder. He crumpled to the dirt after getting the out and had to be assisted off the field, unable to put any pressure on the leg.

He left the ballpark early to return to Cleveland and get an MRI.

"The hope is that it's not terrible," Francona said.

The injury was the only thing that went wrong during the weekend for Cleveland against a team that has dominated it in recent seasons.

"The last couple of years, early in the season against these guys, you go play them and end up in a hole," Bauer said. "It flipped this time. Any time you can get a sweep, it's big, especially in the division."

Indians reliever Jeff Manship faced just one hitter but recorded the biggest out of the game. After the Tigers scored a run in the eighth and loaded the bases against Bryan Shaw, Francona called upon Manship to face pinch-hitter Miguel Cabrera. Manship retired Detroit's franchise player with a foul popout on a 3-2 pitch to snuff out the threat.

"The whole day I kept thinking I don't want Miggy to come up with the tying run and you just knew it was going to happen," Francona said. "The understatement of the day was that was huge."

Detroit's starting pitcher also had his day cut short by injury. Shane Greene (1-2) departed after issuing a leadoff walk to Francisco Lindor in the fourth with a blister on his middle finger. Greene said afterward he hoped to avoid a DL stint.

"They were both doing well,' Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said of the starters. "It was a scoreless game going into the top of the fourth, so they were doing well. Unfortunately, injuries happen."

Lindor had three hits and scored twice, while Marlon Byrd drove in two runs for Cleveland. Cody Allen recorded his sixth save.

Nick Castellanos had a two-run single for the Tigers, who have lost four straight. Detroit has scored just five runs during the skid.

"We're not clicking right now offensively, or pitching, to be honest," Ausmus said. "We're letting (opponents take early leads), and even though we did a nice job of loading the bases late, we're just not rolling. It's good that we are fighting, but we aren't clicking."

The Indians broke through against reliever Drew VerHagen immediately after Greene departed. Lindor scored on Ramirez's one-out double to center and Byrd brought home Ramirez with a single. Tyler Naquin's two-out triple to right-center made it 3-0.

Castellanos' two-out single in the bottom of the fourth cut Cleveland's lead to one. The Indians responded with a three-run fifth, which included RBI singles by Ramirez and Byrd off VerHagen and another by Juan Uribe off Matt Boyd.

NOTES: Detroit 1B Miguel Cabrera and LF Justin Upton were not in the starting lineup. Manager Brad Ausmus decided to give both struggling sluggers a break. Cabrera is batting. 210 with one home run, while Upton is hitting .217 and has struck out a major league high 30 times. "Sometimes, I think it's best to give guys a breather when you think they need one, and I thought they both could use a day," Ausmus said. ... Tigers RHP Francisco Rodriguez was placed on the family medical emergency list for undisclosed personal reasons. Rodriguez, who has four saves, will remain on the list 3-7 days. RHP Mark Lowe and LHP Justin Wilson will share closing duties in his absence, Ausmus said. ... Indians LF Michael Brantley flew to Minnesota on Sunday after playing in consecutive Triple-A games with Columbus. Brantley, who underwent right shoulder surgery in November, could be activated from the 15-day disabled list as early as Monday.