American League Game Summary - Cleveland at Detroit
(Friday, August 3rd)
Final Score: Detroit 10, Cleveland 2
Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - Prince Fielder went 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBI, leading the Tigers to a 10-2 rout of the struggling Indians.
Miguel Cabrera also had three hits, scored twice and drove in a run, while Alex Avila went 2-for-5 with a pair of RBI in a 16-hit barrage for Detroit, which was coming off a disappointing 3-6 road trip.
The offensive explosion helped Anibal Sanchez (1-1) earn his first victory in a Tigers uniform. Sanchez, in his second start since being traded from the Marlins, allowed two runs -- one earned -- on eight hits and a pair of walks in six-plus innings.
"The run support I had today helped me a lot," Sanchez said.
Justin Masterson (7-10) lasted only four innings after getting tagged for seven runs on 10 hits in Cleveland's seventh straight loss.
"I let the team down. I wanted to go out there and set a solid tone," Masterson said.
Before the game, the Indians designated the struggling Johnny Damon for assignment and called up Ezequiel Carrera looking for a spark offensively.
Carrera scored Cleveland's first run on a Shin-Soo Choo single in the third, but the left fielder lost a ball in the sun in the previous half-inning, resulting in an RBI double for Avila.
Fielder broke the 1-1 tie in the home third with a two-run double high off the wall in right-center.
The slugger broke the game open an inning later when he cleared the wall with plenty to spare for a two-run homer. Quintin Berry and Cabrera each drove in a run with a two-out hit prior to Fielder's 18th round-tripper.
Detroit scored three more runs in the sixth. Andy Dirks, fresh off the disabled list, singled up the middle to knock in Cabrera, Avila followed with a run-scoring single and Omar Infante hit a sacrifice fly.
Jason Kipnis' RBI groundout in the seventh accounted for Cleveland's other run.
Game Notes
Cleveland had not lost more than six straight since dropping seven in a row from June 19-26, 2010...Masterson has surrendered 17 runs -- 15 earned -- in his last two starts...Dirks had been sidelined since May 31 with right Achilles tendinitis.
08/04 00:34:24 ET
