Indians' 6-3 win over Detroit may also have been league RBI leader Miguel Cabrera's last of the season.
Cleveland, Ohio -- Miguel Cabrera just may have cost himself the American League RBI title on Monday night, opined the Detroit Free Press writer John Lowe, who is in town to cover the Tigers as they take on the Tribe in Cleveland's final three-game home stand. The Tribe won the series opener, 6-3, thanks to a three-homer, five-run fifth-inning outburst.Cabrera was injured in the seventh inning with none out, after he singled Don Kelly to second. Catcher Luke Carlin caught a pitch and immediately threw to first. Cabrera went back with a final long stride, his right leg stiff. His foot hit the bag, and he went down. A moment later, he limped off the field.
"He twisted his ankle right as he tried to get his foot back on the bag," said first-base coach Tom Brookens. "It's a panic situation -- you do whatever you can to get back in there."
Cabrera has 126 RBI; trailing him with 119 are the Yankees' Alex Rodriguez and Toronto's Jose Bautista.
Not this time
Armando Galarraga has pretty much owned the Indians this season. He opened the season against them with a one-hitter that but for an admittedly blown call by an umpire on the 27th out, would have been a perfect game. Fourteen consecutive Tribe hitters walked dejectedly back to the bench in a shutout win in August. And last night, as noted by Plain Dealer beat writer Paul Hoynes in his game story, he took a no-hitter against them through four innings.
But it didn't stay that way. Here's how mlive.com's Steve Kornacki saw it:
Galarraga took a no-hitter into the fifth inning against the Indians for the third time in as many starts this season. He had allowed them no runs on four hits over 20 innings this season up to that point.
However, Galarraga began leaving pitches up in the fifth inning and Cleveland hitters connected for three mammoth home runs.
"For me, everything passed so fast," Galarraga said. "I was in shock."
(Matt) LaPorta led off the fifth with a 412-foot shot into the shrubbery beyond the center field wall.
"That was not a bad pitch," Galarraga said.
Two batters later, (Luke) Carlin blasted a 397-footer for his first American League home run.
"That was right down the middle," Galarraga said.
Still, it was a 2-2 game.
But Travis Hafner's three-run homer with two outs changed everything. The 429-foot launching gave the Tribe their first three-homer game of the season.
Somehow, Starting Blocks finds it hard to believe that 157 games into the 162-game season, Tribe fans will find solace in the phrase "better late than never."
From The Plain Dealer
In addition to noting the three-homer game behind Monday night's win, beat writer Paul Hoynes took time to point out the quality start by rookie Carlos Carrasco.
In his Indians Insider column, Hoynsie talked to closer Chris Perez, who collected his 22nd save of the season with a 1-2-3 ninth inning. It was his first outing since rejoining the Tribe after the birth of his son, Maxell Alexander, on Friday.The win went to Carlos Carrasco (2-1, 3.26), who didn't miss many bats, but allowed only three runs. He scattered 11 hits in six innings. Carrasco has made six quality starts -- three or fewer runs in six or more innings -- since getting called up on Sept. 1.
Carrasco made his big-league debut against the Tigers last September. The Tigers hit him so hard, and so frequently, it sounded and looked like batting practice. He was better this time.
"I was more comfortable, more confident and more aggressive," said Carrasco, who struck out five and walked one in 94 pitches.
If so, maybe the league will allow 25.1 men on the roster next season. The Indians can use every break they can get."We're undefeated since he was born," said Perez ... "Maybe he's a good luck charm."