Game 140: Tigers 8, Indians 6

As if the last two days weren't gut-wrenching enough, the Indians lost again in an unexpected but, alas, gruesome fashion.

For those who enjoy the macabre, what follows is today's recap. If you'd like to read a bit about other, less depressing, things, then I suggest reading Stephen King instead. I recommend Carrie.

The Indians would score four runs off probable AL Cy Young winner Justin Verlander in about as efficient a way as possible. In the second inning, Carlos Santana led off with a walk, and made it second after a wild pitch. Then Shelley Duncan turned on a fastball on the inner half of the plate, driving it over the right field wall for a two-run homer. And in the fourth inning, a Jim Thome double was followed by another Shelley Duncan two-run shot, this one coming off a letter-high 97-mph Verlander fastball. At this point, Duncan has a better chance of making the Cleveland Opening Day roster than Matt LaPorta, quite a change from what we thought of both of them before this season.

So before we get to the gruesome stuff, here's Duncan's day at the plate:

Justin Masterson couldn't hold the either lead, though. He allowed the Tigers to tie the game in the fourth inning. The trouble started with the usual suspects: Miguel Cabrera singled up the middle, and LGFT Victor Martinez hit a double. Alex Avila then hit a sacrifice fly, and Wilson Betemit hit a two-out double to tie things at 2.

Justin pitched around trouble in the fifth, and a leadoff single in the sixth. By the time the seventh rolled around, he was already near his usual pitch count limit, but Manny Acta sent him back out. to face the top of the Tiger order. Austin Jackson singled to start the inning, and then a Shelley Duncan error allowed Will Rhymes to reach. That set up the rest of the inning. After Andy Dirks singled via a bunt hit, Masterson was pulled, and Joe Smith had the unenviable task of facing Cabrera with the bases loaded. Cabrera singled through the left side, and Acta brought out Tony Sipp to face Victor Martinez. You know what happened next.

Lonnie Chisenhall got the Indians to within a run after hitting a two-run homer, but Don Kelly's ninth-inning triple would give the Tigers their final margin of victory.

Three words describe the past week: Worst. Case. Scenario. The Tigers swept both the White Sox and Indians, and effectively clinched the AL Central.

via www.fangraphs.com