David Pauley hit Kosuke Fukudome with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 14th inning to score the winning run in Cleveland’s 3-2 win over Detroit.
The marathon game started at 7 p.m. but was delayed for over two hours by rain. Pauley (5-5) struck out Jason Kipnis to start the inning, but walked Asdrubal Cabrera and gave up a single to Travis Hafner that went off second baseman Carlos Guillen. Carlos Santana was then intentionally walked to load the bases, setting the stage for Pauley’s gaffe to Fukudome.
By the time Pauley threw the game’s last pitch it was almost 2 a.m. local time.
Doug Fister’s second start as a Tiger never really got going, as he lasted only two innings before the game was stopped. Neither he or Indians starter Justin Masterson came back after the delay.
Cleveland exhausted its entire bullpen, with Frank Herrmann (3-0) getting the win by pitching the 13th and 14th innings. The only reliever the Tigers didn’t use was closer Jose Valverde.
The Indians scored twice in the first inning off Fister, but the Tigers got both runs back in the second, both on fielder’s choice groundouts by Don Kelly and Austin Jackson. Nobody would score again until Pauley’s fateful pitch in the bottom of the 14th.
Duane Below was one of the brighter spots in the game for Detroit, pitching four perfect innings out of the delay and striking out three batters.
The win brought Cleveland within three games of Detroit’s division lead, and was the Tribe’s 12th straight win over Detroit at Progressive Field.