CLEVELAND, Ohio -- There was enough built-in intrigue in the series opener between the Indians and the Tigers to fill a James Patterson novel. Then the elements revealed another plot line on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning.

After starters Justin Masterson and Doug Fister were rendered unpitchable because of a 2 hour and 3 minute rain delay, the game turned into a bullpen duel. The Indians had the better stats and nickname -- the Bullpen Mafia -- and in the end that may have made the difference.

Following 12 scoreless innings of relief, Kosuke Fukudome made all that hard work pay off as he was hit by a David Pauley pitch with the bases loaded to score Asdrubal Cabrera and give the Indians a 3-2 victory over Detroit in 14 innings.

Cabrera started the rally with a one out walk off Pauley (5-5). Travis Hafner ripped a single past Carlos Guillen at second to move Cabrera to third. Carlos Santana was intentionally walked to load the bases and bring Fukudome to the plate. Pauley hit Fukudome --- who had struck out in his previous four at-bats --- with a 1-2 pitch in the left forearm.

"It was a long night, but at the end it was worth it," said manager Manny Acta. "All the credit goes to our bullpen ... unbelievable. They throw 12 scoreless inning to give an opportunity to score a run.

"Chad Durbin set the tone when Masterson wasn't able to come back. He threw three great innings against a very tough lineup and the rest of the guys came in and held them in check. Their bullpen was very good as well -- especially those lefties with our lineup filled with lefties [six lefties and two switcher-hitters]."

The victory cut the Tigers' lead over the Indians to three games in the AL Central and kept the Tribe ahead of fast-closing Chicago. It was the 12th straight time the Indians have beaten the Tigers at home. They lead the season series, 5-2.

The winning run was the Indians' first since they scored two in the first inning. The game started at 7:06 p.m. and ended at 1:52 a.m. It was the Tribe's 13th walk-off win at home. They are 18-14 in games decided in the last at-bat. The Indians managed just three hits in the last 13 innings. The win went Frank Herrmann (3-0), the seventh and final reliever to pitch for the Tribe. If the game had gone to the 15th inning, Josh Tomlin was warming to enter.

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"My mind is saying, 'Don't be that guy. Don't give it up,'" said Herrmann. "Everyone else set the tone. After a rough week for our bullpen it was good to bounce back. They couldn't have scripted it any better."

Herrmann said he never saw a game end on a walk-off hit batsman. It was the first for the Indians since Alex Cole turned the trick in 1991.

"It was kind of anti-climatic, but I don't think anyone wanted a re-do. We were all happy with it," said Herrmann.

After a thunderstorm interrupted a developing slugfest, the change in the humidity seemingly ravaged the two team's bat racks. Detroit occasionally threatened but couldn't get the big hit, while the Indians could hardly touch a trio of Tiger lefties -- Duane Below, Daniel Schlereth and Phil Coke.

After the Tigers wasted a leadoff single by Miguel Cabrera in the top of the 11th, the Indians did the same on a leadoff walk to Ezequiel Carrera in the bottom of the frame. After Michael Brantley bunted Carrera to second, Al Alburquerque struck out Jason Kipnis, intentionally walked Asdrubal Cabrera and got Travis Hafner to pop out to shortstop.

The Indians had a chance to take the lead in the eighth, but an attempted suicide squeeze backfired. After Jason Donald doubled off the center-field wall, he moved to third on Carrera's ground out. Brantley, facing lefty Schlereth, tried to bunt an outside pitch, but failed to make contact with Donald steaming home.

Catcher Alex Avila tagged Donald for the easy out.

"I take full responsibility for it," said Acta. "I called for it. Schlereth was eating our up our left-handers. I took a gamble with the count 1-1. I thought he was going to throw a breaking ball over for a strike and Michael would bunt it.

"Unfortunately, he threw a really bad one and it didn't work. But I take full responsibility because when I call one and it works everyone calls me smart."

The Tigers put runners on first and second in the ninth, but Vinnie Pestano retired Ramon Santiago on a grounder to first to end the inning.

With the score tied at 2 when play resumed, Durbin gave the Indians three scoreless innings in relief of Masterson, but Below was even better. Below, working in relief of Fister, retired 12 straight through the sixth. His first two appearances for the Tigers this year were starts. Then they moved him to the bullpen, so he was just what manager Jim Leyland was looking after both starters were knocked out by the rain delay.

The Indians don't have a true long man, so after Durbin's three innings, lefty Rafael Perez started the sixth. Perez, working carefully, gave up a leadoff single to Andy Dirks, struck out the ever-dangerous Cabrera, gave up a single to red-hot Victor Martinez to put runners at the corners, struck out the resurgent Jhonny Peralta and retired Carlos Guillen on a grounder to third.

"Raffie's inning was the key," said Acta. "They had first and third with one out. But he struck out Peralta and got Guillen. That was huge."

It was Tony Sipp's turn in the seventh for the Tribe. He gave up a leadoff single to Avila, but pinch-hitter Ramon Santiago popped up a sacrifice bunt attempt. Sipp charged off the mound, made the catch and turned his body completely around to make the throw to first for the double play.

Sipp ended the inning by getting Austin Jackson on a fly ball to right.

Pestano followed Sipp with 1 1/3 innings. Chris Perez pitched a scoreless 10th and Joe Smith worked the 11th and 12.

The Indians and Tigers resumed play at 9:46 p.m. Play was stopped at 7:43 p.m. because of the approaching storm.

The storyline going in focused on whether the Indians could take a bite out of the Tigers' four-game lead in the AL Central. They sent Masterson, their most consistent starter, to the mound to start things off. He was facing Fister, acquired at the trading deadline from Seattle. The Indians took a 2-0 lead in the first as Kipnis doubled and scored on Cabrera's single. Cabrera moved to third on Hafner's single to right, scoring on Santana's sacrifice fly to center.

The Tigers came right back in the second. Peralta and Guillen opened the inning with singles. Guillen sent a bouncing ball over second base that should have been knocked down, but Cabrera and Kipnis stood and stared at each other instead of diving.

Peralta took third on Guillen's single and Guillen moved to second when center fielder Carrera tried to throw out Peralta at third. Peralta scored on Don Kelly's grounder to third as Guillen advanced. Jackson's grounder to short scored Guillen to make it 2-2.

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