Chris Dickerson wowed Indians fans with a pair of home runs Saturday night, but it was Carlos Santana who saved the day, hitting a three-run double in the top of the ninth that ultimately provided the margin of victory in a 5-2 win in the nightcap of a doubleheader.
The win gave the Indians the sweep of the doubleheader. It’s their third win in a row since the All-Star break, all against the American League Central-leading Tigers.
Tigers closer Joe Nathan came on in the top of the ninth in a 2-2 game. Catcher Roberto Perez doubled, and after Dickerson watched strike three after pulling back a bunt attempt, Jason Kipnis walked. A passed ball by Tigers backstop Alex Avila advanced Asdrubal Cabrera, pinch-running for Perez, to third and Kipnis to second. The Tigers elected to intentionally walk Michael Brantley to pitch to Santana, who just recently pulled his batting average over .200.
Santana worked the count full and got a hold of a Nathan offering and sent it to the deepest part of Comerica Park, which would have made it a home run just about everywhere else. The bases were cleared as the Indians took a 5-2 lead. Lonnie Chisenhall struck out swinging to end the inning, but the damage was done. Cody Allen came on in the bottom of the ninth for his 13th save of the year.
The Tigers had tied the game up in the bottom of the seventh. Kipnis lost a potential inning-ending double play ball deep in his glove, and with Eugenio Suarez at first, Austin Jackson tripled off Scott Atchison, sending Suarez home.
It was Jackson’s second RBI of the game. He put the Tigers on the board with a bases-loaded walk off Zach McAllister in the bottom of the second, scoring Torii Hunter. It was the only run McAllister gave up in 5.1 innings of work. Reliever Carlos Carrasco was the pitcher of record when Santana tripled, and he ended up getting the win for an inning’s work.
Chris Dickerson, acquired July 9 from the Pirates, was penciled in as the starter in left field for the second game of the twin bill, having come in for Ryan Raburn in the first game. Dickerson led off the third with a solo home run off Max Scherzer, and tagged the defending American League Cy Young Award winner for another home run in the sixth.
The Indians are now 4.5 games back of the Tigers in the American League Central.
Photo: Carlos Osorio/AP Photo
