Cleveland 7, Tigers 4: Carrasco, Ramirez shuts down Tigers (again)

Carlos Carrasco gave up several runs to the Detroit Tigers the last time they faced him. This afternoon he proved that outing to be a fluke and returned to his dominant ways against the Tigers, hurling seven shutout innings and allowing just one hit. Jose Ramirez had another explosive day against the Tigers, hitting two two-run home runs. The Tigers did scratch out a few late runs but it was too little too late as the Cleveland Indians trounced the Tigers in the last game of the season series, 7-4.

In their previous meeting in Cleveland, Carrasco struggled with his velocity and command and the Tigers were able to get to him for seven hits and four runs over three innings. After that game, Carrasco has strung together four impressive starts. Today he showed that he has found his groove as he flashed a mid to upper 90s fastball and a devastating breaking ball to carve up the Tigers lineup. Austin Romine was the only Tigers hitter to get a hit off him. He finished the day with a dominant final line. Seven innings, no runs, one hit, three walks, eleven strikeouts.

On the other side of the scoreboard, Matthew Boyd had a rather odd outing. He started with four perfect innings, mixing his changeup with his curveball to completely fool the Cleveland lineup. The game looked to be shaping up to be a classic pitchers duel. But when Boyd took the mound in the fifth, everything changed. He started with a 3-0 count on Carlos Santana, who eventually lined a single off him for the Indian’s first hit. He then walked Franmil Reyes and then gave up an RBI single to Jordan Luplow. A sacrifice bunt and then a two run single later he found himself in a 3-0 hole. The following inning proved to be the end of his day after a two run home run to Jose Ramirez without recording an out. His final line was underwhelming and frustrating, considering his strong start. Five innings, five hits, five runs, one walk, three strikeouts.

Nick Ramirez came on to relieve Boyd in the sixth and pitched a scoreless frame, with two strikeouts. In his next inning though, Ramirez did what he always does against Tigers pitching, launching another two runs home run to put the game out of reach. Rony Garcia pitched the final two frames and struckout two without allowing a hit.

The Tigers offense made a brief comeback bid in the eighth, scoring three runs. Isaac Paredes hit a one out single and Willi Castro drove him in with a two out single, before Miguel Cabrera followed with his 484th career home run, this one a two run home run to deep right-center, a classing Miggy homer. In the ninth inning, against the closer, Brad Hand, The Tigers got an early run thanks to a Bonifaco single and then Goodrum doubled off the right field wall to bring the Tigers within three runs. But that would be as close as the Tigers got as he would set down the bottom three of the Tiger’s order with ease. The Tigers end the season series against the Indians with the Indians winning it 7 games to 3. It is their fifth straight season losing the series to their division foes from Ohio.