DETROIT - With Justin Masterson on the mound against a Detroit rookie making his big league debut, this seemed like a good chance for the Cleveland Indians to avoid a sweep. Instead, they lost their seventh game in a row, sliding further behind the Tigers in the AL Central standings. Jose Alvarez pitched six impressive innings in his major league debut, and Don Kelly hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the sixth to help the Tigers to a 4-1 victory over the Indians on Sunday. The three-game sweep gave first-place Detroit a 5 1/2-game lead in the division over Cleveland. "Its a long season. We cant worry about it," said Ryan Raburn, who homered to drive in Clevelands only run. "Were playing as hard as we can. Just not catching any breaks." Alvarez (1-0) was starting because of Anibal Sanchezs shoulder tightness, and he held Cleveland hitless until Raburns fifth-inning homer. The 24-year-old left-hander allowed three hits and a walk and struck out seven. "He pitched a great game," Masterson said. "Especially for his major league debut. ... Kept us off balance." Drew Smyly pitched two innings of relief. Joaquin Benoit finished for his third save. Masterson (8-5) allowed four runs in seven innings. He gave up a walk to Miguel Cabrera and a single to Prince Fielder to start the Detroit sixth. One out later, Kelly lifted a drive over the wall in right field. "I dont even think it was a mistake," Cleveland manager Terry Francona said. "Just trying to change the eye level, got it down and in. Actually, it wasnt a strike and it got in his swing path. ... Give Kelly credit — a tough pitch to hit." The Tigers have built their division lead behind terrific starting pitching. Sanchez has been perhaps their best pitcher so far, but Detroit skipped the right-handers start Sunday because of tightness in the back of his throwing shoulder. Enter Alvarez, whose contract was purchased from Triple-A Toledo before the game. He baffled the Indians during the early innings, allowing only a leadoff walk to Mark Reynolds in the second before Raburn — the former Tiger — tied the game at 1 with his seventh homer of the season. The left-handed hitting Kelly brought a .190 average into the game, but Detroit manager Jim Leyland started him against Masterson, who is tough on righties. The move paid off with Kellys third homer of the year, which gave the Tigers a 4-1 lead. "It was a slider down and in, and I was able to put a good swing on it," Kelly said. "I didnt know right away if I got it or not." Detroits bullpen was a bit taxed — and a man short because the Tigers had to add an extra starter for this game. They were able to wrap up this win with Smyly and Benoit while resting closer Jose Valverde. Detroits Alex Avila opened the scoring with a sacrifice fly in the second. Masterson allowed six hits. He walked three and struck out four. NOTES: Indians closer Chris Perez (sore right shoulder) is expected to throw off a mound Tuesday. Perez and his wife were charged in a complaint filed Friday with misdemeanour drug possession involving just over one-third of a pound of marijuana, police in Ohio said. Their attorney said they would plead not guilty. ... It began raining in the ninth inning, sending many fans back toward the concourse level while Benoit finished the game. ... Clevelands Nick Swisher singled in the sixth to snap an 0-for-26 slide. ... Cleveland starts a three-game set at Texas on Monday night. Scott Kazmir (3-3) will start for the Indians. Detroit opens a three-game series at Kansas City. Doug Fister (5-3) takes the mound for the Tigers against Jeremy Guthrie (6-3) in the opener. NFL Jerseys . With Parker having a quiet game for once, Nicolas Batum and Boris Diaw provided the scoring as France won its first major basketball title by beating Lithuania 80-66 on Sunday. 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RIO DE JANEIRO -- It seems everywhere you turn in track and field right now theres bad news.Two days before the track competition starts at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, IAAF President Sebastian Coe said Wednesday that hes not confident there will be full crowds.Are we going to have full houses? I dont know the answer to that, Coe said.The Rio crowds could have given Coe a rare positive to highlight in a news conference that was almost completely about the negatives: Doping, banned athletes, previously banned dopers being able to compete in Rio, and what the IAAF is doing to change the way it works after 12 months that rocked the sport and its governing body to the core. Along with the huge doping scandal in Russia -- Coe called it cataclysmic -- corruption crept into the IAAF, too, under former president Lamine Diack.Yes, the last year has sorely tested all of us and Im very clear about it, it has sorely tested our fans and supporters out there, Coe said. We have to be mindful of where weve come from, but our responsibility now is to shape the future.Many of the questions posed to Coe at the IAAFs beachside hotel in Ipanema dealt with how the International Olympic Committee had taken different approaches to the IAAF when it came to Russias extensive state-sponsored doping scheme.Coe tread carefully, but hinted at what are clearly differing opinions between the two.One of the issues presented to Coe: Doping whistleblower and 800-meter runner Yuliya Stepanova, who was crucial in helping to reveal Russias wrongdoing, wasnt allowed by the IOC to compete at the Olympics while sprinter Justin Gatlin, banned twice for doping, can.It is the IOCs event, Coe said. But he also offered this: If athletes are prepared to stick theiir heads above the parapet and help, then we should recognize that.ddddddddddddSpeaking about Gatlin, Coe, who would prefer dopers be banned for life, said: I cant change my view on that, but he is eligible to compete and he should be accorded the same courtesy that any athlete within those codes and those rules is accorded.And Coe was asked about the IOCs decision to back away from a ban on all Russian competitors at the Olympics despite the countrys state-sponsored doping, when the IAAF took the bold decision to ban all Russian track and field athletes.Organizations made judgments that they presumably felt was in the best interests of those organizations, Coe said. We certainly made a judgment in athletics. The IOC made a judgment, it was endorsed by IOC members, and Im not sure I can add any more than that.Where the IOC and the IAAF are together is a preference for life bans for serial dopers -- someone like Gatlin. Following IOC President Thomas Bachs announcement that the Olympic body might pursue the possibility of life bans again -- life bans have twice been struck down by sports highest court -- Coe said the IAAF would be open to that.With the body facing a long road back to winning fans trust, the IAAF council had this week ratified proposals to change the way it works, Coe said. Those proposals will go to a special congress of all the sports national federations in December to be voted on and hopefully, he said, approved. The changes included setting up a body completely independent of the IAAF to deal with the sports doping and ethics issues.No change was not an option, Coe said. ' ' '