Tigers Whip Indians 14-0

The Indians acquired Ubaldo Jimenez with the future in mind, but the star pitcher had a chance this season to immediately show his worth. What Cleveland saw over the past two months was a mix of dominance and disaster.

On Monday, Jimenez wrapped up his part in the Tribe's 2011 season, turning in a forgettable outing in a 14-0 loss to the Tigers at Comerica Park. On the other side, Detroit's Doug Fister, another midseason addition via trade, fashioned a gem in his final tuneup start before pitching in the postseason.

The promised land that is baseball's playoffs is where the Indians hoped Jimenez might lead them this year. At present, the Tigers got the better end of the trade market. Cleveland can now only hope that its rotation -- with Jimenez near the top of the staff -- can pave the way to the October stage some time in the near future.

"You see in the clubhouse how much talent we have," Jimenez said. "All the guys, one more season under your belt is going to make you even better. Hopefully, we get everybody healthy. This team is going to be good for a long time. We have young guys with good talent."

As for Jimenez?

"It's been a tough season," he said. "But I'll learn from it. I'm going to take everything that I can and then probably, hopefully, get better and be ready for next year."

Both blockbuster deals -- Cleveland reeling in Jimenez in a five-player swap with Colorado and Detroit nabbing Fister in a six-player trade with Seattle -- were consumated shortly before the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline, and each pitcher contributed to their respective team's fate down the stretch.

When Cleveland (80-80) landed Jimenez on July 31 in a deal that sent top pitching prospects Alex White and Drew Pomeranz to the Rockies, the ballclub was 2 1/2 games behind the Tigers for first place in the American League Central. With Monday's loss, the Indians dropped to 27-28 since the deal and are now 13 games back in the standings.

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