DETROIT — Shane Bieber pitched seven dominant innings, Oscar Gonzalez drove in two runs and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Detroit Tigers 5-2 Tuesday night for their third straight win.
Bieber (7-6) allowed just four singles and a walk while striking out eight. Amed Rosario had three hits, including two doubles, while scoring a run and driving in another.
Cleveland entered the night trailing first-place Minnesota by one game in the American League Central Division.
Tyler Alexander (2-6) gave up two runs and seven hits in seven innings for Detroit. The Tigers barely avoid getting shut out for the second straight game, as Eric Haase drew a two-out, bases loaded walk against Eli Morgan in the ninth. They added another run on a wild pitch by Emmanuel Clase.
Clase then recorded his 25th save by getting Akil Baddoo to ground out.
Cleveland scored the first run of the game in the fifth. Owen Miller and Andres Gimenez hit back-to-back, one-out singles. Miller came home on Austin Hedges’ sacrifice fly.
The Guardians made it 2-0 in the sixth on back-to-back doubles by Steven Kwan and Rosario.
Cleveland tacked on three more runs in the eighth off reliever Will Vest. Gonzalez's two-out double off the right-field wall drove in Kwan and Rosario. Josh Naylor knocked in Gonzalez with a single.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Guardians: RHP Aaron Civale (right wrist inflammation) will be activated from the 15-day injured list and start Wednesday's game. Civale threw a four-inning rehab start at Triple-A Columbus on Friday. ... RHP James Karinchak will not make the trip to Toronto for the team's weekend series due to his vaccination status.
Tigers: RHP Beau Brieske (right forearm soreness), who was scheduled to start the series finale on Thursday, will remain on the 15-day IL. He felt discomfort during a bullpen session and was diagnosed with biceps tendonitis. “I wouldn't expect him in the next couple of series,” manager A.J. Hinch said. ... OF Austin Meadows (right and left Achilles strains) will begin a rehab stint at Triple-A Toledo on Wednesday. Meadows will remain there 7-10 days before he may be activated.
UP NEXT
Guardians: Civale (2-5, 6.17 ERA) is 7-0 in eight career starts against the Tigers with a 1.94 ERA and 0.79 WHIP. He held them without an earned run in 6 1/3 innings on May 20.
Tigers: RHP Drew Hutchison (1-5, 4.37 ERA) gave up four runs (two earned) and eight hits in six innings against Tampa Bay in his last start. Hutchison is 1-1 with a 6.85 ERA in six career outings against the Guardians.
