Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Michael Fulmer left with an injury five pitches into the game and rookie Matt Hall endured a brutal debut in relief.
CLEVELAND — The day that couldn’t get any worse kept getting worse.
Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Michael Fulmer left with an injury five pitches into the game; rookie Matt Hall endured a brutal debut in relief; center fielder JaCoby Jones departed after crashing into the wall; the Tigers’ defense committed four errors and its offense managed only two hits.
The result was the Tigers’ worst loss of the season, a 15-0 defeat at the hands of the Cleveland Indians on Saturday afternoon at Progressive Field.
The win allowed the Indians (83-65) to clinch their third consecutive American League Central Division title. The Tigers (60-88) are 5-13 against the Indians this year. The two teams meet for the final time this season on Sunday.
The box score barely scratches the surface of Saturday’s ugliness.
Fulmer surrendered home runs to the only two batters he faced — Francisco Lindor and Michael Brantley — before being lifted with right knee inflammation.
Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said Fulmer tweaked the knee on Lindor’s bunt attempt earlier in the at-bat.
Hall, summoned from the bullpen to make his Major League debut, gave up a single and then watched as his infield made errors on back-to-back plays behind him. He gave up four more runs in the first, although only one was earned.
The second inning was even worse, as Hall allowed all seven batters he faced to reach base (on four singles, a double, a walk and a hit batter).
« It’s not a rough spot at all (in the first inning) if we just catch the ball and make the outs we’re supposed to, » Gardenhire said. « Then he got blooped to death and it just snowballed. It wasn’t like he was throwing bad pitches, but it just ended up snowballing. The ball was blooping in front of everybody but we just weren’t able to make any plays behind him. »
The Indians picked up a couple runs in the third and fourth innings and threatened to score in the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth.
By that time, however, the lineups looked more like a spring training game, with widespread substitution on both sides.
Indians starter Mike Clevinger allowed just one hit in six innings. The Tigers only once came close to scoring — not that it mattered after the first inning.
Gardenhire spoke to the team after the game and advised players to quickly forget about Saturday’s debacle.
« It’s one loss. So grab a beer, wrap (your lips around it) and we’ll come back tomorrow, » he said. « That’s what I’m going to do: Watch football and forget about this one. I hope they do, too. I hope they don’t wrap too many beers around their lips, but this thing is over with. We got killed today. »
INJURY WATCH
Jones crashed into the center field wall while trying to chase down Jose Ramirez’s triple in the fourth inning. He remained in the game, but then was forced to dive after a ball in shallow center two batters later. When Jones got up gingerly, Gardenhire didn’t wait to find out if he wanted to stay in the game. Victor Reyes was sent out to take Jones’ spot in center field.
The Tigers said Jones had « right shoulder tightness » from the run-in with the wall.
Indians designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion was lifted for precautionary reasons in the fifth inning with a mild right ankle sprain.
UP NEXT
The Tigers and Indians wrap up their three-game series and their season series on Sunday at 1:10 p.m. at Progressive Field. Tigers lefty Francisco Liriano (4-10,4.58 ERA) will face Shane Bieber (10-3,4.32).
