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Indians win on rare walk-off balk

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CLEVELAND — Asdrubal Cabrera scored on Al Alburquerque bases-loaded balk in the 13th inning to give the Cleveland Indians an 11-10 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday.

Alex Avila’s two-out homer in the top of the inning put Detroit ahead, but the Indians scored twice for their second walk-off win in the three-game sweep.

Mike Aviles led off with a single against Phil Coke (0-1) and took second on Michael Bourn’s sacrifice. After Asdrubal Cabrera was hit by a pitch, Michael Brantley lined a single to left for his fourth hit that scored Aviles, who slid home before Rajai Davis’ throw.

After a groundout, Alburquerque relieved and pinch-hitter Yan Gomes was walked intentionally to load the bases. Ryan Raburn took the first pitch for a ball. As Alburquerque went into his stretch, he appeared to move his leg and then stopped, and was called for the balk.

Josh Tomlin (3-1), the Indians’ ninth pitcher, worked the final three innings.

David Murphy’s two-run homer for Cleveland in the ninth off Joe Nathan tied it.

Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera and manager Brad Ausmus were ejected in the sixth inning by plate umpire Tim Timmons for arguing balls and strikes.

Raburn raised his arms in victory after the balk was called and the Indians rushed from the dugout to mob Cabrera at the plate after the game finally ended at 5 hours, 16 minutes.

The Indians’ bid to win in the 10th ended when Davis’ throw to the plate got Lonnie Chisenhall, who was trying to score on Bourn’s fly ball.

Tomlin was scheduled to start Thursday in Baltimore, which means a roster move will be made before that game.

Max Scherzer allowed seven runs in seven innings. He gave one run in the first, five in the second and another in the third, but blanked the Indians over his final four innings of work. The right-hander gave up 12 hits and threw 113 pitches.

Scherzer, last season’s AL Cy Young winner, had allowed six total runs in his previous six starts, all wins, over 39 innings.

A dropped throw by Cabrera helped Detroit break a 7-all tie in the eighth.

J.D. Martinez, who hit a two-run homer in the first, had three RBIs. Victor Martinez was 3 for 6 with two RBIs, including a solo homer in the third.

Chisenhall hit a solo homer for Cleveland.

The long afternoon capped an eventful three days for the Tigers, who were stranded in Boston on Sunday night because of mechanical problems with their plane. The players and their equipment didn’t arrive in Cleveland until three hours prior to Monday night’s game, which they lost in 10 innings. The defeat ended a six-game winning streak and an 11-game winning streak on the road.

Justin Verlander allowed five runs in the first two innings in Tuesday night’s loss before Scherzer struggled and Cabrera was ejected in the finale.

Indians starter Zach McAllister allowed five runs in two innings. He was pulled after the first two hitters reached base in the third.

The Tigers scored four times in the first, but the Indians responded with one in the first and five in the second when they sent 10 men to the plate.

NOTES: Tigers OF Torii Hunter had the day off. … Indians DH Jason Giambi played for the first time since May 3 when he strained his right calf. He came off the 15-day disabled list Tuesday. … Victor Martinez is 8 for 13 with seven RBIs lifetime against McAllister. … Bench coach Gene Lamont ran the team after Ausmus was ejected. … McAllister is 0-4 with a 9.51 ERA in his last six starts.