Cleveland rookie Ernie Clement upstaged Detroit's Miguel Cabrera with the first two home runs of his career as the Indians defeated the host Tigers 7-4 on Friday.
Clement was playing in his 31st career game. Yu Chang also homered and knocked in two runs while scoring two more for Cleveland.
Zach Plesac (7-4) held Detroit to two runs on five hits and no walks while striking out nine in 7 2/3 innings.
Cabrera remained stuck at 499 career homers, going 0-for-4. Plesac retired Cabrera on a strikeout, a flyout and a groundout. Cabrera also flied out against Bryan Shaw in the eighth.
Renato Nunez hit a two-run homer in the ninth for Detroit. Eric Haase also homered, and Robbie Grossman doubled twice and drove in a run. Tyler Alexander (2-2) gave up four runs on six hits in five innings. He fanned four without issuing a walk.
Cleveland right fielder Franmil Reyes was ejected in the third inning for arguing balls and strikes.
The Indians scored a pair of two-out runs in the third inning. Clement's first homer went over the wall in right-center. Myles Straw then lined a double to left and Amed Rosario brought him in with a single up the middle.
Owen Miller's one-out single sparked a two-run fourth for the Indians. Miller scored on Chang's triple to right-center, and Chang came home on Austin Hedges' sacrifice fly to make it 4-0.
Haase put his club on the board with a 440-foot blast to straightaway center with one out in the fifth. Haase took the club lead with his 19th homer.
Detroit scored another run in the inning on Victor Reyes' infield single, a groundout and Grossman's RBI double to right.
A throwing error by reliever Joe Jimenez helped the Indians increase their lead to 6-2 in the sixth. Oscar Mercado reached second on the miscue. He stole third and scored on Miller's sacrifice fly. Chang then blasted his third homer of the season.
Clement greeted Derek Holland in the seventh with a homer over the left field wall.
--Field Level Media
Cleveland | Detroit | |
Zach Plesac | Player | Tyler Alexander |
Win | W/L | Loss |
7.2 | IP | 5.0 |
9 | Strikeouts | 4 |
5 | Hits | 6 |
2.35 | ERA | 7.20 |
Cleveland | Detroit | |
Yu Chang | Player | Robbie Grossman |
2 | Hits | 2 |
2 | RBI | 1 |
1 | HR | 0 |
7 | TB | 4 |
.667 | Avg | .500 |