CLEVELAND -- Max Scherzer became baseball's first 17-game winner and the Detroit Tigers posted their 12th straight victory, routing the Cleveland Indians 10-3 Thursday night.
Miguel Cabrera drove in three runs as the AL Central leaders completed a four-game sweep and opened a seven-game lead over the second-place Indians.
Scherzer (17-1) allowed two runs and four hits in seven innings. He helped the Tigers beat Cleveland for the 12th time in their last 13 meetings.
Cleveland's futility for the series was summed up when manager Terry Francona let utilityman Ryan Raburn pitch the ninth inning. Raburn retired three straight hitters, striking out Matt Tuiasosopo, in his professional pitching debut and drew a standing ovation (see full recap).
Pirates win fifth straight
PITTSBURGH -- For 20 years, the Pittsburgh Pirates couldn't win. Now, it seems they cannot lose.
Russell Martin's pinch-hit single with two outs in the 10th inning lifted the Pirates over the Miami Marlins 5-4 Thursday for their fifth straight win.
Martin delivered his fourth game-ending hit at PNC Park this year for the NL Central leaders.
The Pirates swept the three-game series and improved to 70-44, the best record in the majors. Miami lost a 4-0 lead and fell for the fifth time in a row.
"We're like the Miami Heat," Pittsburgh star center fielder Andrew McCutchen said. "We play better in the second half of games."
Pittsburgh has had 20 consecutive losing seasons, a major North American professional sports record (see full recap).
Gee shuts down Fish in Mets' win
NEW YORK -- Dillon Gee insisted there's no pressure following ace Matt Harvey in the rotation. Still, the crafty right-hander is doing a pretty good job of keeping up with the Mets' All-Star starter.
Gee pitched impressively into the eighth inning a day after Harvey tossed his first career shutout, helping New York beat Colorado 2-1 Thursday and sending the Rockies home after a dreadful road trip.
"Harvey's Harvey. That guy's unreal," Gee said. "I just try to go out there and do what I can do to help win baseball games. Luckily we've been able to do that."
Gee (8-8) scattered eight hits without yielding a walk in 7 2-3 innings to win for the first time since July 14. He allowed Corey Dickerson's homer leading off the fourth inning but no other extra-base hits (see full recap).
Royals cool off Red Sox
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Bruce Chen outdueled Jon Lester as the Kansas City Royals defeated the Boston Red Sox 5-1 on Thursday night.
The Royals won for the 16th time in 20 games since the All-Star break. The Red Sox, who have the best record in the American League, lost for only the third time in 10 games.
Chen, who was making his fifth start since beginning the season in the bullpen, did not allow a runner past first base until the eighth and retired 11 in a row in one stretch. He gave up five singles, walked one and struck out two before leaving with two outs in the eighth inning.
Luke Hochevar got the final four outs for his second career save.
MLB
Lester (10-7), who came into the game with a 6-2 record and 1.64 ERA in nine starts against the Royals, needed 41 pitches in the first inning when Kansas City sent eight men to the plate and scored three runs (see full recap).