CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Detroit Tigers mashed their way to an 8-4 win Friday, holding off a late Indians rally to stay perfect and improve to 4-0 on the young season. Alfredo Simon earned a win in his Tigers debut despite lasting just 5.1 innings.
The Tigers blew up starter Zach McAllister's pitch count early with 11 singles through four innings. Miguel Cabrera accounted for three of the hits and Anthony Gose and Victor Martinez each added two.
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McAllister lasted into the 5th inning, but a leadoff double by Yoenes Cespedes followed by a an opposite-field home run from Nick Castellanos knocked him out of the game. He allowed five runs on 13 hits in four innings.
Martinez added his third hit off of reliever Anthony Swarzak in the top of the 6th.
Simon kept the streak of excellent Tigers pitching alive early, cruising through the first five innings with only two hits and two walks allowed.
Early in his first start with the team, Simon had all his pitches rolling, including a cutter, curveball and changeup. He even mixed in a few eephus pitches, one registering at just 58 m.p.h. to David Murphy.
The Indians finally broke through in the 6th inning, turning five straight one-out hits into three runs and chasing Simon out of the game. The new Tiger started leaving his pitches out over the plate and Cleveland jumped all over him.
Simon's early exit presented the Tigers' unproven bullpen with its first real test of the season.
Al Alburquerque came on for the first time this season with runners on 1st and 2nd and one out. Yan Gomes worked a full count, but then grounded into a 5-4-3 double play to end the threat.
Cespedes' third hit of the night led off the 7th inning, and he eventually scored on a two-out infield single from Jose Iglesias. Gose hit the next ball back to the mound, but Cleveland's Mark Rzepczynski threw it into the right field corner, scoring Iglesias. Gose ended up on third base after the error.
Kinsler followed the error with a triple, stretching the lead to 8-3. Friday marked the first time since 1914 that the Tigers have recorded at least one triple in each of their first four games.
Blaine Hardy, who was called up to Detroit when Joe Nathan went on the disabled list, pitched a 1-2-3 7th inning. He returned for the 8th inning and allowed a walk and a double, making the score 8-4.
Joba Chamberlain made his first appearance of the season in the 9th inning. He allowed a leadoff single by Gomes, struck out Mike Aviles and Ryan Raburn and allowed another single to Jose Ramirez before being pulled.
Joakim Soria, who was named Detroit's closer after Nathan hit the DL, came in to get the final out. He struck out Bourn looking for his first save of the season.
The Tigers ended the game with a season-high 18 hits. Alex Avila and J.D. Martinez were the only Tiger starters without multiple hits in the contest. Avila drew two walks, while Martinez went 0-5.
The win gives Detroit its second straight 4-0 start to a regular season. Cleveland dropped to 2-2 after the loss.