CLEVELAND — José Ramírez homered and drove in five runs, Austin Hedges had a two-run shot and the Cleveland Indians bounced back from losing outfielder Josh Naylor to a grisly injury a day earlier by blasting the Detroit Tigers 13-5 on Monday night.
Ramírez connected for a three-run drive in the fourth inning off rookie Matt Manning (1-2) and the Indians opened a seven-game homestand with a season-high in runs and hits (19).
Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera connected for his 493rd homer, tying him with Lou Gehrig and Fred McGriff for 28th on the career list. Eddie Murray is next with 504.
Staked to a healthy, early lead, Indians rookie Eli Morgan (1-2) held the Tigers in check for five innings to get his first big league win.
Hedges added three RBIs and Amed Rosario had three hits for Cleveland, which pulled within two games of AL Central-leading Chicago.
Before the series opener, Naylor was placed on the injured list with a severely broken right ankle he sustained Sunday in a violent collision with rookie second baseman Ernie Clement.
Naylor will undergo surgery and likely miss the rest of the season.
The 24-year-old’s hustle and positive energy will be tough to replace, but the Indians, who were shaken by seeing him writhing in pain in Minnesota’s outfield grass, have managed to stay competitive despite other key injuries.
Hedges put the Indians ahead 5-1 in the second with his fourth homer, a towering two-run shot to left that barely cleared the 19-foot high wall. Bradley Zimmer’s RBI single earlier in the inning made it 3-1.
In the fourth, Ramírez followed a double by Cesar Hernandez and Rosario’s third single with his 17th homer to put the Indians ahead 9-2.
The Indians pounced on Manning for two runs in the first as Ramírez hit an RBI groundout and Eddie Rosario delivered a sacrifice fly.
Cabrera got a run back in the second with his sixth homer, a shot to right-center.
BIEBER UPDATE
Indians ace Shane Bieber will undergo another scan on his sore shoulder later this week. The AL’s reigning Cy Young winner was shut down on June 14 after complaining of tightness following a start.
Manager Terry Francona said Bieber was examined by a team physician on Monday “and they were both pretty pleased with it.”
THIS & THAT
Cleveland’s Eddie Rosario extended his hitting streak to 14 games. … Cabrera has 2,915 hits, 14 away from tying Al Simmons for 40th place. … The Indians are 73-23 against the Tigers since 2016. … Indians outfielder Óscar Mercado made his season debut after being recalled from Triple-A Columbus.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Tigers: Manager A.J. Hinch said RHP Michael Fulmer’s soreness appears to be isolated to his neck, which would rule out any shoulder problems. He was placed on the injured list Sunday and will undergo more tests this week. … LHP Matthew Boyd (arm discomfort) and SS Niko Goodrum (sprained finger) played catch in their first on-field activities since going on the injured list.
Indians: Slugger Franmil Reyes (oblique strain) and catcher Roberto Pérez (finger surgery) took batting practice before the game. Reyes will play three consecutive games at Double-A Akron this week, and as long as there are no setbacks, he’ll be activated Saturday. Pérez will likely come off the injured list when he’s eligible on July 3.
UP NEXT
Rookie RHP J.C. Mejia (1-2) starts for the Indians against RHP Jose Urena (2-8), who has lost his last four starts.
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