Steven Kwan sparked a four-run 10th with an RBI double and the visiting Cleveland Guardians overcame Kerry Carpenter’s ninth-inning tying home run to defeat the Detroit Tigers 7-5 on Tuesday.
Cleveland (79-71) has won 10 of its last 11 games to pull within 5 1/2 games of Detroit (85-66) in the American League Central.
Kwan’s double against Will Vest (6-4) drove in automatic runner Brayan Rocchio. Angel Martinez followed with a triple and he scored on Jose Ramirez’s ground-rule double. Gabriel Arias added an RBI single.
Spencer Torkelson had four hits for Detroit, including a two-run homer in the bottom of the 10th.
Gleyber Torres added a solo homer for the Tigers. Arias also delivered a solo homer for the Guardians.
Cleveland starter Joey Cantillo gave up one run and four hits in five innings. Detroit starter Casey Mize allowed three runs and seven hits with eight strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.
The Guardians scored a two-out run in the second on C.J. Kayfus’ single.
Detroit tied the game in the third as Torres jumped on a fastball and mashed it over the left field wall.
Arias put the Guardians back on top in the fourth with his two-out homer off a first-pitch fastball from Mize.
After Mize struck out the next batter, Tyler Holton came in and recorded two outs to keep the score at 3-1.
The Tigers scored a run in the bottom of the inning. Riley Greene was hit by a pitch, moved to third on Colt Keith’s single and scored on Dillon Dingler’s fielder’s choice grounder.
Cleveland’s Tim Herrin struck out three batters in the eighth after the leadoff batter singled off Hunter Gaddis. Rafael Montero struck out the side in the top of the ninth.
After Cade Smith (7-5) retired the first two batters, Carpenter crushed a fastball over the center field wall to knot the score.
