CLEVELAND — After the final out, closer Chris Perez let out a scream and punched the air in celebration.
The Cleveland Indians had swept the Detroit Tigers and their highpriced lineup. Maybe the American League Central will be a race after all.
Justin Masterson matched Justin Verlander pitch for pitch for first his career victory over Detroit, and the first-place Indians did just enough to beat the reigning AL MVP 2-1 Thursday.
Shin-Soo Choo homered on the third pitch from Verlander (5-2) as the Indians won for the eighth time in 10 games and opened a six-game lead over third-place Detroit.
“This is huge for the team,” said Perez, who saved all three games in the series after ripping Cleveland fans for not supporting their team. “We played good ball these last three games. I said when I made the comments that I was just going to go out and do the job. Luckily, I’ve been able to come through.”
The Tigers have dropped six of eight, and Manager Jim Leyland wasn’t around to see the final four innings after being ejected.
Detroit stranded 30 runners in the series and went just 3 of 28 (.107) with runners in scoring position. Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder and Delmon Young, the Tigers’ 3-4-5 hitters, went a combined 0 for 12 with runners at second or third.
“We’re not scoring,” Leyland said. “We’re not swinging. That pretty much sums it up. I don’t know what else to tell you. I’d love to have something juicy for you, but I don’t.”
Although they may not be getting much national respect, the Indians have the Tigers’ attention and Perez believes others will begin giving Cleveland its due.
“We don’t have the star power,” Perez said. “You look over there and they’ve got Cabrera and Fielder and Verlander and [Jose] Valverde. That doesn’t win baseball games. Good teams win baseball games.”
Jose Lopez hit an RBI single in the fourth off Verlander, and as they’ve been doing for weeks, the Indians played solid defense, got timely hits and moved eight games over .500 for the first time this season.
Masterson (2-3) entered 0-4 in seven starts against the Tigers, but the right-hander allowed 1 run and 5 hits in 7 innings to outduel Verlander. After his starter put two runners on in the seventh, Manager Manny Acta headed to the mound to talk to Masterson, who believed his day was over.
“I was like, ‘Oh, no, please,’ ” Masterson said.
But Acta just wanted to know if Masterson had the stamina and a sinker to get Cabrera and Fielder.
“I told him, ‘Let’s do this,’ ” said Masterson, who got Cabrera on a fly to center and threw to first for the final out.
“He’s our horse,” Acta said of Masterson.
WHITE SOX 11, TWINS 8 Paul Konerko and Alex Rios hit back-to-back home runs and Alejandro De Aza added a grand slam to cap a six-run sixth to lead host Chicago over Minnesota.
National League REDS 6, BRAVES 3 Rookie catcher Devin Mesoraco hit his first career grand slam to lead host Cincinnati over Atlanta.
PADRES 11, METS 5 Will Venable had two RBI doubles as San Diego beat host New York. GIANTS 14, MARLINS 7 Melky Cabrera had three hits and drove in four runs as San Francisco beat host Miami.
PHILLIES 10, CARDINALS 9 Shane Victorino and Freddy Galvis drove in three runs each, including Galvis’ go-ahead single in the sixth inning, and Philadelphia beat host St. Louis.
Thursday’s games NATIONAL LEAGUE
Cincinnati 6, Atlanta 3 San Diego 11, NY Mets 5 San Francisco 14, Miami 7 Philadelphia 10, St. Louis 9
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Cleveland 2, Detroit 1 Chicago White Sox 11, Minnesota 8 LA Angels at Seattle, (n)
Sports, Pages 24 on 05/25/2012