After being handled easily by Verlander (11-6) for six innings, Cleveland needed only two pitches to jolt back to life. (Carlos) Santana drilled the first offering he saw from Verlander deep to right-center field for a solo home run that cut Detroit's lead to one run.

One pitch later, Progressive Field exploded in cheers when (Travis) Hafner followed with a near identical blast. The shots were the eighth and 10th of the year, respectively, for the catcher and designated hitter. It marked the third time this season the team enjoyed a back-to-back outburst.

"They were horrible pitches," said Verlander, who finished with four strikeouts and two walks. "If I execute my pitch there, I seriously doubt that they do anything with it."