Carrasco, Indians lose 7-2 to Tigers

NOAH TRISTER
AP Baseball Writer

DETROIT (AP) — Carlos Carrasco’s terrific month helped Cleveland keep its flickering playoff hopes alive.

But the Indians are running out of time — and the right-hander finally faltered a bit.

Carrasco allowed four runs in 6 1-3 innings, and Cleveland lost 7-2 on Friday night to the Tigers. Detroit moved into first place in the AL Central, and the Indians are four games out in the race for the second American League wild card.

Carrasco had allowed only three runs in his previous 38 2-3 innings.

“He continues to be a really good pitcher, but that lineup is going to make you pay for a mistake,” Cleveland manager Terry Francona said.

J.D. Martinez homered, tripled and drove in four runs, and David Price pitched into the eighth inning to lift Detroit. Martinez broke a 1-all tie in the fourth with a two-run homer, and then drove in two more runs with his triple in the seventh.

Price (14-11) allowed a home run to Ryan Raburn in the second but kept Cleveland off the scoreboard after that.

Carrasco (7-5) gave up seven hits.

Alex Avila made the defensive play of the night when Mike Aviles hit a foul popup behind the plate in the fifth. Avila made the catch while jumping into the screen, which served almost like a trampoline, sagging backward while the Detroit catcher remained mostly upright and bounced off it.

“It was a nice catch,” said Tigers manager Brad Ausmus, a former catcher. “I would have caught it without the jump, but he was nice.”

With Cleveland up 1-0 in the third, Ian Kinsler lined an RBI double to right. Martinez’s homer made it 3-1 in the fourth.

Victor Martinez added an RBI single in the seventh, and J.D. Martinez followed with a triple to right-center that made it 6-1. Avila added an RBI infield single.

STREAK HALTED

Carrasco had won four straight decisions since rejoining Cleveland’s rotation Aug. 10. Included in that stretch was an unusual outing against the Tigers on Sept. 2, when he allowed 10 hits in 5 1-3 innings while striking out 10. That ended up being a no-decision.

He struck out five and walked two on Friday.

“I had a good fastball, and I wanted to attack them, but I didn’t make enough pitches,” Carrasco said. “I threw a sinker to (J.D.) Martinez, and it just stayed right in the middle of the plate and he hit it out.”

LOOKING LIKE AN ACE

Detroit won for the fourth time in eight starts by Price, acquired from Tampa Bay in a blockbuster trade at the July 31 deadline. The left-hander has allowed a couple of big innings since joining the Tigers, but he also has shown plenty of his All-Star form. Price allowed a run and eight hits Friday in 7 2-3 innings, with seven strikeouts and no walks.

“Just staying focused, staying with my process,” Price said. “I know the stuff that I possess out there on the mound is good enough to get teams out, it’s good enough to be dominant. I just want to be able to pitch as deep as possible into the game.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Indians: Aviles doubled in the second, a day after he returned from a nine-day absence due to a concussion. He appeared in both games of a doubleheader against Minnesota on Thursday.

Tigers: Ausmus said LHP Phil Coke (back) is day to day.

UP NEXT

Detroit LHP Kyle Lobstein (1-0) takes the mound Saturday night against Cleveland RHP Danny Salazar (6-7), who pitched his first career shutout when he faced the Tigers on Sept. 3.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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