Indians drop ninth in row, 9-2

The surging Tigers won their 21st game since June 7 which leads the majors.

DETROIT (AP) — Miguel Cabrera hit two home runs, Marcus Thames had one and Justin Verlander was dominant after a shaky start, lifting the Detroit Tigers to a 9-2 win over the Cleveland Indians Tuesday night.

The surging Tigers (45-44) lead the majors with 21 wins since June 7.

The defending AL Central-champion Indians (37-52) have dropped nine straight and the latest setback was the first of the post-CC Sabathia era.

Sabathia, who was sent to Milwaukee Monday for three prospects and a player to be named, rejected Cleveland’s $72 million, four-year extension offer during spring training and announced he wouldn’t negotiate until after the season.

Jeremy Sowers (0-5) took Sabathia’s turn in the rotation and was roughed up after getting through the first two innings unscathed. Sowers gave up seven runs and 10 hits over 5 2/3 innings.

Cabrera capped the four-run third with a two-run homer — a pitch after Thames’ RBI double — on a swing that looked simply effortless.

Thames hit his 17th homer, a two-run shot that put Detroit ahead 6-2 in the fifth inning.

Curtis Granderson’s second RBI of the gave Detroit a five-run cushion in the sixth.

Cabrera’s second homer came on an 0-2 count on a low-and-outside pitch that he hit to opposite field over the right-field fence in the seventh and Ivan Rodriguez also hit a solo homer in the inning to give Detroit a 9-2 lead.

It was much more support than Verlander needed.

After Casey Blake hit a double and Jhonny Peralta followed with a two-run homer in the first inning, Verlander didn’t give up another hit and struck out seven before exiting with a huge lead after seven innings.

The 2006 AL Rookie of the Year is 4-0 in his last six stars — giving up two or fewer earned runs in each outing — after starting the year 2-9.

Notes

Cleveland moved right-hander Scott Elarton from the restricted list to the 15-day DL for a non-baseball medical condition and is expected to be replaced by right-hander Juan Rincon from Triple-A Buffalo today. ... RHP Fausto Carmona (hip) threw Tuesday but the Indians won’t bring him back at least until after the All-Star Game. He’s been on the DL since May 24.