This is the American League’s 111th season.
Tigers Vs. Indians: Cleveland Walks Off In Grand Style
In the first 110 seasons, no team ever won a championship of any kind in April.
Almost everything that happens this month will be forgotten in June. Let alone October.
Still, you might forgive the Cleveland Indians for believing that something important happened Friday night at Progressive Field. Something that will be remembered in June. Perhaps in October, even.
Because it’s not often that the Cleveland Indians win 17 games before May. In fact, before Friday night the Cleveland Indians had never won 17 games before May.
And it’s not often that the Cleveland Indians win with a game-ending grand slam. In fact, before Friday night it hadn’t happened in nearly nine years.
Friday night, though? The first-place Cleveland Indians ran their record to 17-8 when Carlos Santana, in the bottom of the ninth inning, with the bases loaded and the score 5-5, crushed a Joaquin Benoit fastball deep into the night.
For the first five innings, everything went Detroit’s way.
In the first inning, Miguel Cabrera put the Tigers ahead 2-0 with a two-run homer off starter Jeanmar Gomez.
Gomez would settle down, allowing just one more run (in the fourth). But those three Detroit runs looked like plenty through five innings, as Tiger starter Max Scherzer dazzled the Indians. With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Scherzer was working on a two-hit shutout.
But a single and two walks loaded the bases, and Shelley Duncan -- filling in for the injured Travis Hafner -- grounded a single into left field and two runners scored.
In the next half-inning, the Tigers got their three-run lead back, thanks to a trio of singles and a sacrifice fly. But the Indians answered immediately and with great force. With one out, Matt LaPorta homered. And with two outs, Grady Sizemore walked and Asdrubal Cabrera launched a game-tying two-run homer to right-center.
Nobody scored in the eighth. Indians closer Chris Perez retired the Tigers in order in the top of the ninth.
Benoit entered for the bottom of the ninth. Jack Hannahan led off with a single. Sizemore singled, sending pinch-runner Adam Everett to third base. Jim Leyland ordered an intentional walk to load the bases.
Benoit struck out Shin-Soo Choo on three pitches. But Santana was next. He strode the plate carrying the weight of a .183 batting average. Moments later, the weight was forgotten. Santana's home run won't be, for quite some time.
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