DETROIT -- With another big late-inning home run, the Detroit Tigers reopened a 1 1/2-game AL Central lead Ian Kinsler hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the seventh inning, and the Tigers beat the Cleveland Indians 6-4 Sunday for a three-game sweep. Benito Santiago Jersey . Kinslers homer off Bryan Shaw (5-5), his first since Aug. 30, followed Rajai Davis infield single and put the Tigers ahead 4-3. "Its not easy to get to that guy," Kinsler said. A night earlier, Alex Avila hit a two-out, two-run homer off Shaw in the eighth inning of the Tigers 5-4 win. Detroit widened its lead in the eighth inning Sunday on C.C. Lees run-scoring wild pitch over a shoulder of catcher Chris Gimenez during an intentional walk to Kinsler. Torii Hunter followed with a run-scoring forceout. "That was absolutely a huge play," Cleveland manager Terry Francona said of the wild pitch. Phil Coke (5-2) pitched a scoreless seventh for Detroit, which won for the sixth time in seven games. The Tigers have their largest lead since before play on Aug. 10. Joe Nathan gave up Carlos Santanas RBI double in the ninth before getting his 32nd save in 38 chances and eighth in a row. With runners on first and second and no outs, Yan Gomes grounded into a double play, and pinch-hitter Jason Giambi hit a game-ending flyout. While the Tigers go to last-place Minnesota for a three-game series, second-place Kansas City hosts the Chicago White Sox for three games. Detroit plays three games at Kansas City next weekend. "Every game is huge," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "Every game we play matters. Every game Kansas City plays matters." Detroit starter Justin Verlander allowed three runs and six hits in 5 2-3 innings, leaving his season ERA at 4.81. He is 7-8 with a 5.40 ERA since late May. Clevelands Trevor Bauer gave up two runs -- one earned -- and six hits in five innings. The Indians are five games back for the ALs second wild card with 14 games left. "Now were going to have to get real hot real fast," centre fielder Michael Bourn said. "I feel like we had a chance to win two out of three. They showed us why they won the division the last three years." J.D. Martinez hit a solo homer in the fourth, a booming drive into the centre-field hedges for his 22nd home run this season. "You dont see many guys reach the bushes out there," Ausmus said. "In terms of raw power, hes up there with anyone in the major leagues." Santanas sacrifice fly tied the score in the fifth, and Blaine Hardy relieved Verlander with two on in the sixth. Jose Ramirez singled in the go-ahead run, and Hardy hit Michael Brantley with a pitch with the bases loaded. Martinez pulled the Tigers to 3-2 with an RBI single in the bottom half. DIVISION MINDED Seven of Martinezs 22 homers this season have come against the Indians, and hes hit .328 with 11 runs and 20 RBIs in 16 games vs. Cleveland. Thirteen of Martinezs long balls have come against the AL Central. CATCH OF THE DAY A woman standing near one of the entrances to the lower deck and holding a small child managed to snag a foul ball on a hop. She crouched down as the ball bounced her way, grabbed it with her free hand. Child in tow, she resumed walking to her seats behind Detroits dugout. TRAINERS ROOM Tigers: Avila left at the end of the seventh because of what the team called lightheadedness. Ausmus said he wasnt sure whether the headache was related to a ball that struck Avilas mask earlier in the game and said he doesnt expect Avila to play Monday. Avila went 1 for 3 with a pair of strikeouts. Indians: OF Ryan Raburn didnt play, a day after leaving a game with a hyperextended left knee. Francona said the team will evaluate Raburn before deciding whether he needs an MRI. Raburn has played just 74 games this season due to injuries. UP NEXT Reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (16-5) is to start Monday, with Anthony Swarzak (3-1) slated for the Twins. Clevelands Zach McAllister (3-6) will face Houstons Collin McHugh (9-9). Oscar Gamble Jersey .Y. -- Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire will have less time to remain eligible for the Hall of Fame ballot under changes made Saturday. Adrian Morejon Jersey . Meeks has agreed to a $19.5 million, three-year deal with Detroit, a person familiar with the situation said Tuesday night. The person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because free agents cant sign contracts until the leagues moratorium ends July 10, also said Cartier Martin had agreed to a one-year contract with the rebuilding franchise.TORONTO - James Reimer appears to be okay after a scary and all too familiar incident one night earlier. The 25-year-old was able to join teammates at practice on Friday and expects to be available for Saturdays game in Chicago against the defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks. "Thats the plan," said Reimer of being available this weekend. "With these things you really never know. You have to judge how Im feeling in the morning again, but the way I feel today I think we should be ready to go for [Saturday]." Reimer was forced to leave his fourth start of the season against Carolina after just 32 seconds on Thursday night, dinged unintentionally in the neck area by teammate Josh Leivo. He was replaced by Jonathan Bernier in what concluded as a 3-2 loss. Considering his history with the injury, Reimer is likely to exercise caution. Back in the fall of 2011, he experienced an eerily similar collision with Montreal captain Brian Gionta. Suffering from what the team described then as "whiplash symptoms" Reimer was kept off the ice for three consecutive days, returning to a single practice before being placed on injured reserve the following day. He would miss the next 18 games and would battle the after-effects of the injury all year long. Though there was initially confusion as to the nature of the injury in that instance, Reimer and the Leafs later leearned it to be neck-related and as a result, feel better prepared to address the current situation in the days ahead. David Bednar Jersey. Reimer had a headache as a result of the collision on Thursday evening, but returned to the teams practice facility on Friday morning free of any such symptoms. In an effort to elevate his heart rate and determine if any issues arose Reimer rode the bike and worked out, free of any trouble. "If my headache subsided then I wanted to practice," he said, one of three goaltenders at practice, University of Toronto goaltender Michael Nissi also on hand. "Woke up this morning, felt pretty good." According to the netminder, new league protocol dictated that he depart Thursdays game. "The trainer evaluates the situation and if he sees that it was a pretty extensive hit to the head then he says youve got to come out," Reimer explained. "I tried to have a discussion with him and say that I was alright. But obviously that wasnt the case in that moment so he made the call that I come out." "We felt [Thursday] night that it wasnt anything that was going to be prolonged, but you always err on the side of caution in these situations," Leafs coach Randy Carlyle said. "You want to make sure that your player tells you hes 100 per cent ready to go." Reimer is 2-0-0 so far this season with a .917 save percentage. ' ' '
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