Watch: Indians torch Verlander for 4 HRs in 5th inning
Cleveland rocks (Justin Verlander).
Verlander, the longtime Detroit Tigers right-hander with a 4.53 ERA in 45 career starts against the Indians, once again floundered against his Ohio-based foes Sunday at Comerica Park, surrendering a season-high eight runs and getting chased after serving up four homers in the fifth inning.
Though the former MVP and Cy Young award winner started off decently enough, allowing two runs through the first four innings, things quickly went south in the fifth, with Juan Uribe smacking a leadoff bomb to put Cleveland up by one.
Tyler Naquin, the 25-year-old rookie who carried a .957 into Sunday's matinee, followed with a solo shot of his own, his sixth home run in his last 19 games.
Verlander almost escaped the frame with a two-run deficit, getting Carlos Santana to fly out in the following at-bat before striking out Michael Martinez, but after Francisco Lindor poked a single to keep the inning alive, Mike Napoli crushed a two-run bomb to left.
Then, after Jose Ramirez singled to center, Lonnie Chisenhall poked another two-run homer to right, ending Verlander's afternoon.
Prior to the series finale, Verlander had only once in his 12-year career allowed four homers in a game, back on Sept. 18, 2007. Guess where that rough outing went down (hint: Cleveland).
(Videos courtesy: MLB.com)
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