The Indians won Friday night with a walk-off grand slam by catcher Carlos Santana in the opening game against the Detroit Tigers. The Tribe swept the Tigers over the weekend to improve to a major league best 19-8.

By JAMES W. WADE III

Staff Reporter

The Indians won Friday night with a walk-off grand slam by catcher Carlos Santana in the opening game against the Detroit Tigers. The Tribe swept the Tigers over the weekend to improve to a major league best 19-8.

The Tribe continued their winning ways over the weekend, with three come from behind victories to sweep their AL Central rival Detroit Tigers. Friday they won in the bottom of the 9 inning for a 9-5 win, then Orlando Cabrera was the hero on Saturday with a walk-off RBI single in the 13th to take the game 3-2, and Michael Brantley singled home the go-ahead run on Sunday in a three-run 8th to once again boost the Tribe past the Tigers, 5-4.

The win is the sixth straight win for Cleveland and 13th in a row at home, after dropping their first two games of the season at home vs the White Sox. The three last at bat victories over the Tigers also gives the Tribe their fifth series sweep on the young season, already one more than they had all of last year.

Cleveland's fast start can be attributed to many things, but maybe most significant are the gaudy offensive numbers the club has been posting thus far. The Tribe is second only to the Yankees in runs per game, third in the league in total runs scored, second overall in on base percentage and fourth in both batting average and slugging percentage.

The Indians pitching has also been a surprise, with the emergence of Justin Masterson who already has 5 wins and a team high 29 strike-outs and second-year starter Josh Tomlin who is 4-0 with a 2.45 ERA and team best .91 WHIP.

The Indians are a major league best 19-8, off to their best start in 110 years. They will look to continue their sensational start to the season with a three-game series at Oakland.