Note: For an end of game Tigers score update, text SCORES to 80373

CLEVELAND (WKZO) – The highly anticipated Tiger offense was absent down the stretch for a second straight night in Cleveland. For the first time since early April, the pattern of winning and losing every other day was broken as Detroit fell 4-2.

The game was scoreless into the sixth inning when Andy Dirks scored rookie Quintin Berry. Berry, who made his first big league appearance in place of the still injured Austin Jackson, reached on a bunt double. Prince Fielder scored Dirks two batters later on a fielder’s choice. That would spellthe end of the Tigers offense for the night.

Detroit left 10 runners stranded in the game, including bases loaded opportunities in the seventh and eighth innings.

Travis Hafner tied the game in the Indians half of the sixth frame on his sixth homerun of the year, scoring Jason Kipnis. Cleveland took the lead in the eighth on a throwing error by Prince Fielder to home plate. Carlos Santana added a sacrifice fly to pad the lead for the tribe.

Doug Fister provided another quality start for Detroit. Fister struck out three and walked a pair in 6.2 innings of work. His only blemish being the two run homerun given up to Travis Hafner. Phil Coke gave up the final two unearned runs in relief.

Detroit has fallen three games under .500, and are now a full five games behind Cleveland in the AL Central.

Justin Verlander gets his shot at the Indians tomorrow afternoon in the series finale. First pitch on AM 590 WKZO is 12:05 pm.