CLEVELAND — Manny Acta isn’t much on moral victories, but the Indians manager wasn’t too disappointed in his team in a losing effort Thursday night at Progressive Field.

Facing one of the game’s best pitchers in Detroit ace Justin Verlander, Cleveland didn’t lay down, battling Verlander and the Tigers to the end before falling 4-3 in front of 30,988 fans.

Of course, the fight to the finish didn’t do anything for the Indians in their race with Detroit for the Central Division crown, with the first-place Tigers snapping a 13-game losing streak at Progressive Field to avoid the sweep, while bumping their lead over Cleveland to three games.

But it couldn’t keep Acta down.

“We came into this series trying to shorten up the distance, and we did,” said Acta, whose club entered the three-game set, trailing the Tigers by four games. “The goal was to sweep them but our guys played very well in this series. I like the way we went about our business.”

Verlander was good but not as dominant as he has been for much of this season, allowing three runs on three hits, while striking out 10 over seven innings, to notch his 100th career victory.

The Indians didn’t get many hits off Verlander, but they made them count.

Carlos Santana hit a solo home run in the second inning for Cleveland’s first run, while Asdrubal Cabrera’s two-out double in the third accounted for the other two.

“I’ve seen him better, obviously,” Acta said of Verlander, who allowed just one more hit after the third. “We battled him and got him out of there after seven innings.”

The Indians had other opportunities against Verlander but couldn’t cash in on any of them.

After a leadoff single in the fifth, Lonnie Chisenhall got caught up waiting for a liner from Lou Marson to fall and was thrown out at second by right fielder Magglio Ordonez.

In the sixth, Santana hit a ball to the wall in center field with a man on that was snared by a leaping Austin Jackson, who at least stole extra bases from Santana.

Cleveland starter Fausto Carmona rose to the occasion after a shaky first two innings, allowing three earned runs on seven hits, while striking out six over seven innings. All of the Tigers’ runs off Carmona came within the first two innings.

“I thought Fausto did a fantastic job,” Acta said. “He gave up those runs on ground balls. He got into a very good rhythm after those first two innings. I thought he found a feel for his change-up. I’m glad he’s getting so confident in that pitch.”

With his change-up as an out pitch, Carmona allowed just four hits over his final five innings of work.

“After the second inning, I felt very good,” Carmona said. “I threw everything tonight, every pitch, and it worked a lot.”

Carmona also played peacemaker.

After Santana failed to come up with a catch from Chisenhall that went as an error to the third baseman in the first inning, television cameras caught Cabrera and Santana having words in the dugout. Carmona had to separate the pair.

Acta said Cabrera was upset that Santana didn’t come up with the throw, while Santana did not like how the All-Star shortstop talked to him.

“Something happened,” said Santana, who tried to keep his foot on the bag as he reached for Chisenhall’s high throw. “Me and (Cabrera) are friends. Everything is good. These things happen in baseball.”

Cabrera was not available after the game.

Though two of his top players feuded in the dugout, Acta saw it as a positive.

“I like it,” he said. “That means we have people around here that want to win. That’s fire. I like that.”

Contact Chris Assenheimer at 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com. Fan him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.

The Tigers snapped a 13-game losing streak at Progressive Field, beating the Indians 4-3 to avoid the sweep Thursday night.

Cleveland scored three times in seven innings off Detroit starter Justin Verlander, who improved to 17-5 with the win.

Cleveland starter Fausto Carmona allowed all four of his runs within the first two innings, pitching seven innings and allowing seven hits and striking out six.

CLEVELAND — If Fausto Carmona is able to turn things around and finish the season strong, Indians pitching coach Tim Belcher thinks newly acquired rotation mate Ubaldo Jimenez will deserve some of the credit.

“I think the addition of Ubaldo is really going to help him,” Belcher said of Carmona, who in his first season as a fulltime ace, had struggled to a 5-11 record and 5.19 ERA prior to his start Thursday night. “Fausto’s kind of been the guy here for the last couple years since CC left. Now, all of a sudden someone’s here with top-of-the-line stuff and he’s a countryman (Dominican Republic) with similar stuff and builds.

“He will instinctively, whether he will admit it or not, pick up his game.”

Carmona certainly ramped it up in his first start after Cleveland traded for Jimenez, allowing just two earned runs over 6 1/3 innings of a 7-5 victory at Texas on Saturday.

A budding rivalry appeared to be brewing when Carmona was asked about the addition of Jimenez on the day the Indians acquired him.

“I don’t want to talk about that,” was Carmona’s odd response.

Jimenez (7-9, 4.57 ERA) has not been without his struggles this year. His velocity had been down in Colorado prior to the trade and the right-hander hasn’t been the same pitcher he was during a breakthrough season with the Rockies last year — 19-8, 2.88 ERA.

His first start with the Indians was a rough one, but he followed it up with a sparkling one in his home debut Wednesday night.

Jimenez has the unique ability to change speeds on his fastball, which makes him stand out, according to Belcher.

“His speed variations are very good,” Belcher said. “He may not have the movement on the ball like Justin (Masterson) and Fausto, but the speed variation is what is really impressive about him.”

Wounded Wahoos

Outfielder Shin-Soo Choo (broken left thumb) resumed his rehab assignment at Class A Lake County on Thursday night. He was expected to begin playing in higher-level games in the minors but both Triple-A Columbus and Double-A Akron are on the road.

If all goes well, Choo could be activated from the disabled list early next week.

(bullet) Outfielder Michael Brantley (right wrist) missed his second straight game, but the Indians are optimistic that the outfielder will return tonight.

(bullet) Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera was a gametime decision, but was in the lineup after being hit on the foot by a pitch and leaving the game prematurely Wednesday.

No problem

Belcher isn’t concerned with the Indians starting Masterson tonight after the right-hander pitched two innings Tuesday in an abbreviated outing thanks to a lengthy rain delay.

“He’ll be fine,” Belcher said. “He threw 37 pitches, low stress, two innings. He’s such a horse. He could probably throw every third day and get by with it.”

Masterson leads the team with 159 1/3 innings in his first full season as a starting pitcher.

Next up

The Indians host Central Division rival Minnesota in a three-game series that begins tonight at 7:05.

Masterson (9-7, 2.71 ERA) opens the set against RHP Carl Pavano (6-9, 4.71), while Josh Tomlin (11-5, 4.08) pitches Saturday (7:05), with the Twins countering with LHP Brian Duensing (8-10, 4.56).

David Huff (1-1, 0.51) is expected to pitch the series finale Sunday (1:05) against RHP Kevin Slowey (0-0, 4.91).

Minor details

Right fielder Chad Huffman went 4-for-4 with a pair of doubles Wednesday in Columbus’ 8-1 loss to Indianapolis. Huffman, a candidate to make Cleveland’s roster as an extra outfielder in spring training, entered Thursday batting .244 with 13 homers and 53 RBIs in 103 games for the Clippers. … Converted Akron starter Paolo Espino improved to 6-0 with a 2.44 ERA in 22 games (five starts) Wednesday, tossing five scoreless innings and allowing four hits and striking out seven in a 3-0 victory over Portland.

Roundin’ third

A scoring change from Wednesday gave first baseman Carlos Santana an error, which means all three runs Jimenez allowed in a 10-3 victory over Detroit, were unearned. … The Indians announced the return of Snow Days to Progressive Field this winter (Nov. 25-Jan. 16), with the addition of a regulation-sized ice rink. The rink will be the site of the first-ever hockey game at the park between Ohio State and Michigan on Jan. 15. … Tonight, 7:05, STO/WTAM 1100-AM/WEOL 930-AM.

Contact Chris Assenheimer at 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com. Fan him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.

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