Goodrum, Boyd power Tigers to sink Indians 4-1

Niko Goodrum blasted a two-run homer in the first, Matthew Boyd tossed six strong innings and the host Detroit Tigers cooled off the Cleveland Indians 4-1 on Wednesday. John Hicks also homered for Detroit, which has won six of its last seven games. Goodrum, Hicks, Miguel Cabrera and Dustin Peterson had two hits apiece.

Boyd (1-1) gave up one run on four hits, striking out six and walking two. Shane Greene recorded his eighth save in as many opportunities by getting the last three outs, snapping Cleveland's five-game winning streak. Indians starter Trevor Bauer (1-1), who hadn't given up a hit in his previous 10 innings entering the game, surrendered four runs on 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings while striking out seven. Bauer won all four of his starts against the Tigers last season but wasn't as sharp on the chilly afternoon.

Hanley Ramirez doubled in the only Cleveland run in the sixth. Bauer retired the first two hitters he faced. Cabrera then blooped a single to right and Goodrum jumped on a 95-mph fastball and drilled it over the fence in right-center field. The last time Bauer gave up a home run to a Tigers hitter was May 1, 2017, when Tyler Collins took him deep.

Boyd got into trouble in the sixth by hitting Leonys Martin with a pitch. He struck out the next two batters but walked Carlos Santana. Ramirez then smacked a double to left-center field on an 0-2 pitch, allowing Martin to score while Santana stopped at third. Boyd struck out Jake Bauers to prevent further damage. Detroit took a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth.

Hicks ripped his first homer of the season on a Bauer changeup. Gordon Beckham doubled with one out, advanced on a long fly ball and scored on Josh Harrison's single up the middle. The Indians threatened in the eighth when reliever Joe Jimenez walked the bases loaded with two out. Buck Farmer replaced him and induced pinch hitter Greg Allen to bounce into a force play.

 

(With inputs from agencies.)