DETROIT — Trailing by three runs and in danger of falling another game off the pace in the AL Central, Orlando Cabrera and the Cleveland Indians broke through with a big rally.

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Cabrera had three hits, and the Indians came back to beat the Detroit Tigers 6-4 on Wednesday night. After scoring two runs in its previous four games, Cleveland scored four in the fourth inning. Cabrera then added an RBI double in the fifth to break a 4-4 tie.

Fausto Carmona reacts after striking out former Indian Jhonny Peralta during the fifth inning of Wednesday’s 6-4 win in Detroit. The win put the Indians back in first in the AL Central. (AP photo.)

Cleveland (36-30) pulled back ahead of Detroit (37-31) at the top of the AL Central by a percentage point.

“It’s going to be a really, really interesting season,” Cabrera said. “It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be a battle. Hopefully, we’ll have more games like this.”

The teams finish the three-game series today, again with first place on the line.

The Indians led the Tigers by seven games on May 23, but they’d lost 15 of 20 entering Wednesday. They were shut down by Detroit’s Justin Verlander on Tuesday night, and for a little while Wednesday, the bad breaks continued. Carlos Santana’s drive down the right-field line went foul in the first inning, narrowly missing a home run. He then grounded into a double play.

Brennan Boesch hit a solo homer for Detroit in the bottom half to open the scoring, and Miguel Cabrera followed with a two-out grounder that handcuffed third baseman Jack Hannahan for a single. The Tigers eventually loaded the bases, and Alex Avila drove home two more runs with a single.

But the Indians took advantage of an erratic start by Brad Penny. Asdrubal Cabrera led off the fourth with a single, and after a walk to Shin-Soo Choo, Matt LaPorta and Orlando Cabrera hit RBI singles. Following a sacrifice bunt by Hannahan, Lou Marson tied the game with a single.

Charlie Furbush (1-1) relieved Penny, and Grady Sizemore’s sacrifice fly put the Indians ahead 4-3.
“We have not been playing our game,” Orlando Cabrera said. “We did it earlier in the season. (In the fourth inning), we really got the momentum right there and put a couple of hits together and got those runs.”

Detroit tied it in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI groundout by Boesch, but Cleveland took the lead back in the fifth when Orlando Cabrera hit a run-scoring double down the left-field line.

It was Orlando Cabrera who broke up Verlander’s no-hit bid Tuesday night in the eighth inning.

Penny allowed four runs on eight hits in 3 1/3 innings. He walked two.

“His command wasn’t good — he was just all over the place,” Detroit manager Jim Leyland said. “But it was 4-4 into the fifth inning, so we had plenty of chances to win this game. We had them on the ropes, but we just didn’t do anything against their bullpen.”

Fausto Carmona (4-8) pitched five innings, allowing four runs on eight hits. Cleveland’s bullpen then held Detroit hitless, and Chris Perez pitched the ninth for his 17th save.

“It’s going to be a battle all year,” said right-hander Vinnie Pestano, one of four Cleveland relievers who pitched. “We got off to a hot start. We’ve kind of leveled off, and teams that got off to a slow start, they’re starting to catch up now.”

LaPorta made it 6-4 with an RBI groundout in the seventh.

Carmona, who had lost five straight starts, struck out three and walked two.

Notable

• Cleveland outhit Detroit 13-8.
• Indians manager Manny Acta said DH Travis Hafner (right oblique strain) had treatment Wednesday at Progressive Field in Cleveland and did some sliding.
• The Indians announced makeup dates for postponed games May 14-15 against Seattle. They’ll host a doubleheader against the Mariners on Aug. 23 and also host them Sept. 19.
• Fans began heading for the concourse as rain fell during the sixth inning, but the game wasn’t delayed.

CLEVELAND — The stars of “Hot in Cleveland” have gotten a warm welcome in the city where their sitcom is set.

Betty White, Valerie Bertinelli, Wendie Malick and Jane Leeves were greeted by fans and a red carpet Wednesday night in Cleveland. The actresses attended a viewing party for the new season’s premiere episode at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.

WJW-TV reports Bertinelli thanked the people of Cleveland for their support, calling them “kind, good, strong-hearted people that will survive.”

Multiple media outlets reported the women will receive a key to the city from Mayor Frank Jackson today. Bertinelli throws out the ceremonial first pitch at Friday night’s Indians game against Pittsburgh.

“Hot in Cleveland”’s new season is running this summer on the TV Land network.

DETROIT — Justin Verlander thought he had his best stuff of the season.

Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera scores Tuesday as Tribe catcher Carlos Santana can’t handle the throw in a 4-0 loss. (AP photo.)

That was great for the Detroit Tigers and really bad for the Cleveland Indians.

Verlander nearly pitched another no-hitter, taking his latest bid into the eighth inning, to lead Detroit past Cleveland 4-0 Tuesday night and into first place in the AL Central.

His fastball was approaching 100 mph and with the same arm speed, his knee-buckling breaking pitches were about 20 mph slower and just as unhittable.

“It’s kind of tough on hitters when I can change speeds, elevation and do what I want to do,” Verlander said.

Indeed.

Verlander (8-3) had a season-high 12 strikeouts in a two-hitter. He walked one, hit a batter with a pitch and has won six straight decisions.

With two no-hitters already on his resume, including one in Toronto last month, Verlander dominated the slumping Indians until Orlando Cabrera lined a clean single to center with one out in the eighth.

“With that guy, you feel lucky any time you get a hit,” Cabrera said. “You just go up there and keep battling and hope he throws you something you can get your bat on.

“There’s no embarrassment when it is being done by one of the best pitchers in the game.”

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The crowd groaned when Cabrera smacked a single to center and flipped his bat toward Cleveland’s dugout when he was about halfway up the line.

Verlander was told what Cabrera did and said he’d remember it even though the flipped bat might’ve been a sign of frustration more than disrespect or showmanship.

“If he wants to flick his bat when it’s 4-0 and they just got their first hit in the eighth inning, if that’s the type of player he is, that’s fine,” Verlander said. “You can’t worry about guys like that.”

Verlander fell five outs shy of becoming the sixth pitcher with three career no-hitters.

Four of them are in the Hall of Fame: Nolan Ryan (7), Sandy Koufax (4), Bob Feller (3) and Cy Young (3). Larry Corcoran, an ambidextrous pitcher who won 177 games from 1880-85, is the other one.

“After the second one, a lot of guys told me once you get to three no-hitters, you’re talking about guys like Sandy Koufax, Nolan Ryan,” Verlander said. “Pretty elite territory.”

Verlander looked as though he might have another special night when center fielder Austin Jackson leaped over the right-center wall — getting his shoulder at the top of the fence — to rob Shin-Soo Choo of a solo homer in the second inning.

He struck out two batters in three of the first four innings and didn’t need any more spectacular plays to finish Detroit’s major league-high ninth shutout of the season.

It was the second one for Verlander, and his third complete game. He has five shutouts and 13 complete games in his career.

Verlander pitched his first no-hitter on June 12, 2007, against Milwaukee, then duplicated the feat May 7 against the Blue Jays. In his next start, he took a no-hit bid into the sixth inning against Kansas City.

He also was trying to become the sixth pitcher to throw two no-hitters in one season — including Roy Halladay, who tossed his second gem in the NL playoffs last year.

It was the second time in three days that a pitcher flirted with his second no-hitter this season. Minnesota left-hander Francisco Liriano, who tossed a no-no just days before Verlander’s gem in Toronto, carried a no-hit bid into the eighth on Sunday against Texas.

Verlander lowered his ERA to 2.66 in his masterful performance against Cleveland.

“He’s nasty and he’s going to make guys look a little silly up there,” Detroit catcher Alex Avila said. “That’s what happens when you can throw anywhere from 78 to 98 (mph) with a nasty curveball, changeup.”

Verlander heard a chorus of cheers when Cleveland finally got a hit and saw a standing ovation when he walked off the mound after the eighth inning. He didn’t make any sort of gesture toward the 28,128 fans either time.

“If that’s the end of my evening, I’m going to acknowledge it,” Verlander said.

Carlos Santana blooped a single to left with two outs in the ninth and Verlander dropped briefly into a disappointed crouch. But he retired Michael Brantley on a routine grounder to end it.

Andy Dirks drove in two runs for the Tigers, who have won 12 of 16 to move into sole possession of the division lead for the first time this year.

“It’s early in the season, but we’ve got to get there at some point,” Verlander said. “We’ve got the talent. We should win a lot of ballgames.”

Still missing injured slugger Travis Hafner, the Indians lost for the 15th time in 20 games and fell out of first place for the first time since April 6.

“Our kids are young, but they aren’t naive,” Cleveland manager Manny Acta said. “They know there are no trophies for first place in June.”

Verlander has won his last four starts and hasn’t lost since April 27.

Back then, Justin Masterson was on a roll for the Indians. Since then, he’s been in a slump for a team plummeting after a strong start.

Masterson (5-5) gave up four runs — two earned — on seven hits and five walks over 6 1-3 innings. He is 0-5 since his last victory April 26.

“I feel for the guy,” Acta said. “He keeps pitching well, but we’re not hitting.”

Notes

• Tigers OF Magglio Ordonez didn’t play, but is expected to be in the lineup Wednesday night and Thursday against Cleveland.
• Hafner is beginning a rehab assignment with Double-A Akron. He has been on the DL since May 20 with a strained oblique.
• Detroit didn’t have an extra-base hit, snapping its 66-game streak to start the season that was its longest since at least 1919
• Cleveland RHP Jason Knapp had a second shoulder operation, another setback for a player acquired in the Cliff Lee trade.
• Yankees lefty Jim Abbott was the last pitcher to hold Cleveland hitless on Sept. 4, 1993, in New York.

LORAIN — A Lorain boy had to be transported by LifeFlight after he was attacked by a “large white pit bull type dog” yesterday afternoon and received severe injuries to his face and arm.

Tyzhon Wannamaker, 5, was taken first to Mercy hospital and then flown to Rainbow Babies & Children’s hospital. He is listed in stable condition today.

Officers were called to 903 W. 14th St. about 5:15 p.m. yesterday and found the dog covered in blood. The child had already apparently been taken into the house, the report said.

The boy’s mother told police her two sons were playing outside when the 7-year-old ran inside screaming that a dog had Tyzhon. She told officers she ran outside to see the dog had her son in its mouth shaking him from side to side.

The mother said she began looking for something to beat the dog with, but her aunt who lives below her was already outside beating the dog. She said they took Tyzhon to into the aunt’s residence and called 911.

Police had difficulty determining who the dog belonged to, but the mother finally told them her cousin had come to the home with a male several days earlier, and he had brought the dog, the report said. Since then, the dog had just been hanging around, she said.

The county dog warden arrived and was able to take the dog into custody without incident, the report said.