CLEVELAND - Rookie Kerry Carpenter homered for the second straight night and the Detroit Tigers survived a wild ninth inning to defeat the Cleveland Guardians 4-3 on Tuesday night.
Cleveland manager Terry Francona was ejected for arguing after the umpires ruled Myles Straw struck out with the tying run on third for the second out of the inning.
Plate umpire Lance Barksdale originally ruled Straw fouled off a 2-2 pitch from Tigers All-Star closer Gregory Soto. The four umpires had a meeting and ruled Straw swung and missed for strike three. Francona stormed out of the dugout and angrily argued the call with Barksdale.
Francona was quickly ejected and remained on the field to continue the argument as the crowd loudly booed. Straw also was ejected.
Steven Kwan, who was 3 for 3 with a walk, tapped back to Soto to end the game.
Rookie Tyler Freeman led off with a double and moved to third on Austin Hedges’ sacrifice.
Detroit has won two of three against the AL Central leaders. The Tigers snapped an eight-game losing streak by winning the second game of Monday’s doubleheader when Carpenter hit his first major league home run.
Detroit manager A.J. Hinch’s successful challenge helped Detroit score three times in the first.
Garrett Hill (3-3) held Cleveland in check over five innings after allowing a run in the first. Hill gave up four hits, struck out three and retired the last five hitters he faced.
Joe Jiménez inherited a 4-2 lead in the eighth, but had to work out of trouble to keep Detroit in the lead. Amed Rosario tripled and scored on Ramirez's bloop hit to center.
Rookie Oscar Gonzalez struck out and All-Star Andrés Giménez fouled out. Josh Naylor, who wasn’t in the lineup after tweaking his ankle Monday, received a loud ovation when he batted for Owen Miller.
Naylor worked the count to 2-2 but grounded out sharply to second baseman Jonathan Schoop, who was playing in shallow right field.
Cleveland starter Zach Plesac (2-11) appeared to have completed a scoreless first inning when Javier Báez was thrown out at the plate. The call was overturned after Hinch’s challenge, and Detroit took a 3-0 lead.
Báez was on second with two outs when Harold Castro’s ground ball caromed off second base and rolled into left field. Shortstop Tyler Freeman retrieved the ball and threw to the plate after Báez was waved home.
Catcher Austin Hedges applied the tag on the sliding Báez and umpire Lance Barksdale gave the out call. Hinch challenged that Hedges blocked the sliding lane before catching the ball. The call was overturned after a review.
Cleveland manager Terry Francona argued the decision with Barksdale and crew chief Alan Porter before returning to the dugout.
The Tigers, leading 1-0, took advantage of the overturned call as Plesac couldn’t finish off the inning. Plesac hasn't won since June 5. The right-hander allowed four runs in 5 1/3 innings.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Tigers: LHP Tarik Skubal, out for the season with a sore elbow, has been examined by Dr. Neal S. ElAttrache in Los Angeles, and the team is still waiting for results. "I talked to Tarik today, but there’s nothing new to disclose," Hinch said.
UP NEXT
Tigers: LHP Daniel Norris (0-4, 5.97 ERA) pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings against the Chicago White Sox on Aug. 12, his first appearance with Detroit this season after signing a minor-league contract last month.
Guardians: RHP Cal Quantrill (9-5, 3.67 ERA) held Toronto to one hit and struck out seven in seven shutout innings on Aug. 12.