CLEVELAND — It was a battle of Central Division underachievers Monday night at Progressive Field and, fortunately for the Indians, the Tigers achieved less than they did.
Cleveland opened a four-game series against Detroit with a 5-0 victory in front of 24,689 fans. The late July showdown was expected to be a significant one between a pair of clubs picked to challenge for — at the very least — a Central Division title, but instead find themselves playing out the year with little at stake.
The Indians, the defending division champions who were a win away from the World Series last year, entered the night in last place, while Detroit, which made a flurry of major offseason moves, stood in third — 6½ games behind the front-running White Sox.
On this night, the Indians played like the defending division champs — pitching, hitting and playing flawless defense.
“We played great baseball as a team tonight,” said Cleveland’s starting pitcher Paul Byrd, who was at the forefront of the victory with arguably his best performance of the season.
Byrd helped the Indians snap a two-game losing skid and win for just the second time in six games by shutting out the Tigers on four hits over 72/3 innings. It was his second straight victory — something he has accomplished just once this season.
Changing speeds and arm slots, the veteran right-hander kept Detroit’s power-packed offense in check, despite Tigers manager Jim Leyland employing a lineup that entered the game batting .300 against Byrd, collectively. That Byrd beat the Tigers though was no surprise. In his career against Detroit, he is 10-2 with a 3.33 ERA in 20 games (19 starts) — 2-0 in three starts this year.
“Birdie does whatever he has to do to get people out and he’s been doing it for a long time,” said Cleveland manager Eric Wedge. “Tonight, against a very good hitting ballclub, he did a great job.”
Byrd, who has struggled in what figures to be his final year in an Indians uniform, didn’t allow a hit until a one-out single in the fourth from Magglio Ordonez. He then retired 13 of the next 17 batters he faced with no Detroit baserunner advancing past second during Byrd’s time on the mound.
“He really had all his stuff working,” said catcher Kelly Shoppach, who hit one of two home runs in a three-run sixth inning that sealed the game for the Indians. “He really did a nice job of commanding his changeup and he threw a little bit harder tonight.”
“I threw the ball in and I’m getting my changeup back,” Byrd said. “It was good to be back out there and throwing the ball well.”
Byrd (5-10, 4.93) left with two outs in the eighth to a standing ovation from the hometown crowd, tipping his cap and waving to fans as he made his way to the dugout.
Byrd also got some support from his offense, with the Indians solving veteran left-hander Kenny Rogers, who lasted 5 2/3 innings, while allowing five runs on nine hits.
The Indians scored twice off Rogers through the first three innings, then extended the lead to 5-0 in the sixth when Shoppach led off the inning with his ninth homer and Asdrubal Cabrera followed with a two-run shot.   
“Rogers is typically tough on us,” Wedge said. “But the home runs were a separator for us. With the way Birdie was pitching, that was enough.”
It was the Indians’ 11th shutout of the season, which ties Boston for the most in the majors. Of the 11 shutouts, eight have come at Progressive Field. The Tigers were shut out for the 11th time this year — an American League high.
Cleveland, which collected six extra-base hits, has homered in 13 of its last 14 games and 21 of 23.
Right-hander Edward Mujica retired the last four batters of the game to preserve his scoreless innings streak of 12 in 10 games. It is the longest scoreless streak by an Indians reliever this season.     
Contact Chris Assenheimer at 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com.

 TONIGHT

WHO: Cleveland vs. Detroit
TIME: 7:05
WHERE: Progressive Field
PITCHERS: Ginter (1-1, 2.45 ERA) vs. Galarraga (8-4, 3.27)
TV/RADIO: SportsTime Ohio; WEOL 930-AM, WTAM 1100-AM

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