CLEVELAND — For all intents and purposes, the American League Central Division race is over.
Shelley Duncan, left, and Grady Sizemore can only watch from the dugout in the ninth inning Tuesday as the Tigers put the finishing touches on a 10-1 romp. The loss dropped the Indians 81⁄2 games behind the Tigers in the AL Central. (AP photo.)
The Detroit Tigers scored eight runs in the first two innings Tuesday night, then coasted home to a 10-1 destruction of the Indians.
With the loss, the Tribe fell 8½ games behind the division-leading Tigers with 23 left to play — meaning Motor City fans should immediately start saving their money for playoff tickets.
“As a team, we feel great right now. I’m not gonna lie to you,” said Detroit designated hitter Victor Martinez, who played for Cleveland from 2002-09. “Still, this is baseball, so you never take anything for granted. We have an 8½-game lead with 20-some games left, but we have to make sure we show up and keep playing the game the right way every day.”
Martinez had two hits, two runs and three RBIs as the Tigers won for the second straight day at Progressive Field. They have beaten the Indians six times in a row, dating back to Aug. 11, to take command of the Central.
Detroit shortstop Jhonny Peralta added two hits, one run and two RBIs despite being booed every time he came to the plate. Tribe fans never warmed to him during his 2003-10 stay in Cleveland, which included time at short and third base.
Martinez, however, was a fan favorite on the North Coast en route to making three AL All-Star teams. He memorably wept after being traded to Boston by the Indians on July 31, 2009, in exchange for Justin Masterson, Nick Hagadone and Bryan Price.
“The Indians have definitely earned a lot of respect around baseball this year,” said Martinez, who is hitting .325 with nine home runs and 85 RBIs in his first season with the Tigers. “They’ve been playing their butts off and have been battling the whole season. They’ve opened a lot of eyes, believe me.”
The 32-year-old Venezuelan remains close friends with Tribe shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, but doesn’t talk baseball with him during the season because they are competitors. He said they keep their conversations focused on their families and off-field topics.
The other current Cleveland player Martinez is familiar with is pitcher Fausto Carmona, who was the victim of Detroit’s early onslaught. The right-hander gave up seven runs and eight hits in just 1 1/3 innings, allowing eight of the Tigers’ nine starters to reach base.
“I caught Fausto for a long time, but I didn’t have an idea what to expect,” Martinez said. “He seemed to leave some balls over the plate in the first inning.
“The thing about Fausto is he can come right back with a pitch to end the inning. He’s got very good pitches to use, but it just wasn’t there for him tonight.”
The Tigers, who trailed the Indians by eight games on May 3, now hold the largest division lead in the AL. That advantage could swell even more this afternoon when Detroit sends Cy Young Award favorite Justin Verlander to the mound against Masterson in the finale of the three-game series.
“This game is hard enough, so putting any pressure on yourself only makes it harder,” Martinez said, dismissing a suggestion the Tigers should be anxious to put the final nail in the Tribe’s coffin. “We’re just going to keep thinking about our next game. People can congratulate us at the end of the regular season if we deserve it, but not now.”
Contact Brian Dulik at brisports@hotmail.com.
