DETROIT (AP) -- Six weeks ago, Anibal Sanchez's major league career was in jeopardy.
The right-hander had a 9.00 ERA in 11 relief outings, having allowed nine homers in 21 innings. With a $16.8 million salary, the Detroit Tigers were doing everything they could to keep him on the roster, but time was running out.
In a last roll of the dice, Sanchez agreed to go to Triple-A Toledo on May 19 to work back into shape as a starting pitcher. It wasn't an overwhelming success -- he had a 4.60 ERA in four starts -- but when Matt Boyd lost his spot in the rotation, the Tigers turned to the 33-year-old Sanchez.
Thus far, it has paid off. Sanchez gave up three runs on four hits and a walk in 6 1/3 innings of Detroit's 7-4 win over the Cleveland Indians in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader.
"This was definitely my best outing all year," he said. "I could locate my fastball on both sides of the plate, which lets me use my breaking ball."
Sanchez has a 3.12 ERA in three starts since his month in Toledo, and has only allowed one homer.
"He's put together three really good starts, and this one was a great performance against a very good lineup," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "I give him a lot of credit for going down and finding a way to make this work."
Sanchez left in the seventh with a 4-2 lead, but reliever Daniel Stumpf immediately gave up a two-run homer to Carlos Santana.
In the bottom of the inning, with one out and J.D. Martinez on first, Nicholas Castellanos hit his fifth triple of the season off the out-of-town scoreboard in right-center to put the Tigers back in front.
Bryan Shaw (2-3) intentionally walked Victor Martinez, putting runners at the corners, but Mikie Mahtook flared an RBI single to left to make it 6-4. James McCann's single brought home Victor Martinez to give Detroit a three-run lead.
Shane Greene (2-2) finished the seventh for Detroit and picked up the win after Castellanos' triple. Justin Wilson pitched the ninth for his eighth save.
Indians starter Josh Tomlin ran into trouble in the second, but center fielder Bradley Zimmer made a diving catch to rob Mahtook of a run-scoring hit. Tomlin hit McCann with a pitch to load the bases with two outs, but Jose Iglesias bounced into a force at second.
The Indians took a 1-0 lead in the third on a sacrifice fly by Jason Kipnis, but the Tigers took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the inning on back-to-back homers by J.D. Martinez and Miguel Cabrera.
"They have a lineup of pretty good hitters, so when you add in J.D. and Miggy and they are swinging the bat well, it makes it difficult," Tomlin said. "I was just behind in too many counts."
Iglesias made it 4-1 in the fourth with a two-run double just beyond Zimmer's glove.
Lonnie Chisenhall's seventh-inning single made it 4-2 and chased Sanchez. He received a standing ovation and tipped his cap to the crowd.
"He's always had a really good changeup, but he's throwing it more now," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "He mixes his fastball in and out, just trying to keep you off the changeup."
TRAINER'S ROOM
Indians: Before Friday's rainout, Cleveland planned to use reliever Dan Otero to start one of Saturday's games -- the first start of his career. LHP Ryan Merritt was going to be Cleveland's 26th man as an extra arm in the bullpen, and even though Otero wasn't needed as a starter, the Indians kept Merritt as their extra player for the doubleheader.
Tigers: LF Justin Upton was a late scratch with right side soreness. Upton was going to take swings before the nightcap in an attempt to play. ... Boyd, who had originally been scheduled to start one of Saturday's games, stayed with the Tigers as their 26th man for bullpen insurance.
BUILDING OFF HIS FASTBALL
Sanchez said his improved fastball command lets him use his "butterfly" pitches -- a curveball that comes in around 75 mph and a slow changeup that can drop as low as 64 mph. "I have to make sure they are off balance, or they will get hit hard," he said. "If I can throw 91 (mph) to both sides of the plate, that makes it harder for them to adjust to 65 or 70 (mph)."
He joked that his pitches are drawing attention from the commissioner's office.
"I got drug tested the other day," Sanchez said. "They said my pitches were too slow."
UP NEXT
Indians: Carlos Carrasco (8-3, 3.67 ERA) was scheduled to start the nightcap for Cleveland. He had pitched 21 times against the Tigers, including 16 starts, and was 7-7 with a 4.85 ERA.
Tigers: Jordan Zimmermann (5-5, 5.53) was set to pitch the second game. Zimmermann was 0-1 with a 4.39 ERA in his past four starts.
