DETROIT _ One offensive streak came to an end and one was extended at the last second, but the Indians nonetheless fell to the Detroit Tigers, 6-3, Monday night at Comerica Park.
The loss snapped a four-game streak in which the Indians _ finally operating at a higher level after six weeks of inconsistency _ had scored at least six runs. It also brought the Tigers (18-22) to within two games of the Indians (20-20) in the American League Central.
The Indians did strike first on Monday night but then fell mostly silent against Tigers starting pitcher Mike Fiers.
In the top of the first inning, Jose Ramirez slugged a solo home run, his 13th of the season, to right field. That was good enough for the team lead and tied him for the major-league lead with the Baltimore Orioles' Manny Machado and the Boston Red Sox's Mookie Betts.
Fiers (4-2) cruised from there, allowing just that single run on three hits in six innings. The Indians threatened to score against Tigers reliever Warwick Saupold in the seventh, when a walk, a single and a wild pitch put two runners in scoring position with two outs for Brandon Guyer. But Saupold got the best of him and struck him out swinging.
An inning later, the deficit was halved. Ramirez reached on an error on Dixon Machado and Edwin Encarnacion followed by ripping a double to right-center field to make it 3-2.
But that was all the offense the Indians could muster. The Tigers turned to left-handed Daniel Stumpf to face Yonder Alonso, who popped out harmlessly to shortstop.
Indians starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco (5-2) allowed three runs on six hits and two walks and struck out four to notch a quality start, but he lacked the needed offensive support. Two singles and a fielder's choice resulted to a third-inning run on a Pete Kozma's ground ball to third base.
In the fourth, John Hicks doubled and Niko Goodrum delivered the biggest blow of the night, a two-run home run to right-center field.
Facing Indians reliever Zach McAllister in the eighth, Goodrum then delivered the haymaker, crushing a three-run home run to right field to extend the lead to 6-2 and notch his first career multi-homer game.
Francisco Lindor, who was named American League co-player or player of the week for the second week in a row, extended his career-best hitting streak at the last possible moment when he rifled an RBI single to center field with two outs in the ninth off Shane Greene.
That brought Michael Brantley to the plate as the tying run, but Greene induced a groundout to first base to end the game.
And with that, the Tigers inched closer to the Indians in the Central.
