CLEVELAND _ The Indians' offense hasn't been able to find consistency for several weeks. The Detroit Tigers seem to trying to help out with the cause.
The Indians on Friday pummeled starting pitcher Jordan Zimmermann and continued the beat down against the bullpen, easily taking down the Tigers 11-2 at Progressive Field on Friday night.
The Indians' last game against the Tigers _ Sunday in Detroit _ ended in an 11-8 win. The Indians (46-39) also put up 11 runs on Thursday night against the San Diego Padres.
Facing Zimmermann (5-7), the Indians put up five runs in the third. After Jason Kipnis doubled and Francisco Lindor singled, Michael Brantley ripped a double down the right-field line to make it 2-0. Two batters later, and with two outs, Jose Ramirez beat out an infield single, scoring Brantley from third and extending the inning. That brought up Lonnie Chisenhall, who slugged a two-run home run to right field, capping the five-run third.
It gave Chisenhall 12 home runs and a team-leading 51 RBIs this season.
The Tigers (38-47) chipped away against starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco, cutting the Indians' lead to 5-2. But against the Tigers bullpen in the bottom of the sixth, though, the Indians put it away.
Bradley Zimmer, who notched his first career three-hit game Friday night, led off the inning with a solo home run, his fifth of the season. With two runners on, Lindor drove a two-run triple into the right-field corner and Brantley followed with an RBI single.
Lindor added an RBI single an inning later. With Jason Kipnis on third, Brantley lined out to right fielder J.D. Martinez, who nonchalantly threw the ball in to Ian Kinsler. Kipnis, meanwhile, went back to third, tagged up and sprinted for home, just beating Kinsler's throw with a head-first slide, putting the Indians on top 11-2.
Carrasco (10-3) allowed just two runs on nine hits and struck out 11 in seven innings. It was his 12th career double-digit strikeout game and the second this season. In the fifth, he also registered an "immaculate inning," striking out the side on nine pitches. It was only the second immaculate inning in franchise history, after Justin Masterson delivered the first in 2014. According to stats guru Ryan Spaeder, it was the 86th immaculate inning in baseball history.
Victor Martinez singled in the second inning, which marked his 2,000th career hit. Martinez, who played with the Indians from 2002-2009, received a standing ovation from the Indians' crowd.
