Milone, Twins top Tigers
DETROIT -- Tommy Milone took a shutout into the ninth inning while winning his third consecutive start, and Eduardo Nunez drove in three runs as the Minnesota Twins held off the Detroit Tigers 6-2 Tuesday at Comerica Park.
Milone (3-2) allowed two runs on four hits over 8 1/3 innings in Minnesota's first victory over the Tigers in eight meetings this season. James McCann's third-inning single was the only hit he gave up until the ninth. Milone walked two and struck out four.
It was his longest outing since he tossed 8 1/3 innings against the Kansas City Royals on July 5, 2013. His only nine-inning complete game came against the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 20, 2012.
Nunez had two hits and a sacrifice fly, and Brian Dozier capped a five-run seventh with a two-run homer. Joe Mauer contributed two hits, a run and an RBI, and Kurt Suzuki added two hits and two runs for the Twins, who lost 1-0 to Detroit on Monday.
Twins reliever Brandon Kintzler gave up two hits, then struck out McCann and Jose Iglesias with the bases loaded to end the Tigers' late rally.
Tigers starter Anibal Sanchez (5-11) was charged with three runs on seven hits in six-plus innings while striking out a season-high 10. He gave up 12 runs over 8 1/3 innings in his previous two starts.
Sanchez now has 12 career double-digit strikeouts performances. His most recent was May 24 last season against the Houston Astros.
Victor Martinez and Nick Castellanos drove in Detroit's runs.
The Twins scratched out a run in the third. Suzuki smacked a one-out single and Byron Buxton followed with a bloop hit. Nunez brought home Suzuki with a sacrifice fly.
Sanchez struck out the side in the fifth and recorded three more K's in the sixth after allowing a leadoff single. He was removed after issuing a walk to Kennys Vargas and single to Suzuki in the seventh.
Following a sacrifice, Nunez slapped a single up the middle off Bruce Rondon to bring home both runners. Mauer's two-out single plated Nunez before Dozier launched his team-high 16th homer over the left field wall to make it 6-0.
NOTES: Tigers manager Brad Ausmus expects the front office to seek roster upgrades before the non-waiver trade deadline unless his team goes on a losing streak over the next 10 days. "Based on recent history, the Tigers organization has always shown that if they're in the hunt, they're buyers," he said. ... The Twins' 1-0 loss to Detroit on Monday was their first by that score since June 2 of last season at Boston. ... Minnesota SS Eduardo Nunez and Detroit 2B Ian Kinsler were selected their teams' Heart and Hustle Award winners. ... Detroit has won 21 of its last 30 at home. ... Twins RHP Ervin Santana will start Wednesday's matinee despite getting hit in the left arm by a line drive against Cleveland on Friday. He'll be opposed by Tigers RHP Justin Verlander, who has won seven of his last nine decisions.