Tigers 2, Twins 1 (10 innings)
DETROIT -- Ian Kinsler slapped an opposite-field single to bring home Anthony Gose and give the Detroit Tigers a 2-1, 10th-inning victory over the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night at Comerica Park.
Gose, the Tigers' center fielder, drilled a one-out double to left-center before Detroit's second baseman knocked him in. Angel Nesbitt (1-1) picked up the victory with one inning of scoreless relief while Ryan Pressly (1-1) took the loss.
Right fielder J.D. Martinez homered for the Tigers (20-13) while Gose, Kinsler and left fielder Yoenis Cespedes had two hits apiece.
Right fielder Torii Hunter drove in the lone run for the Twins (18-15), who had won nine of their previous 11 games before the opener of the three-game series.
Both starting pitchers were sharp but neither factored in the decision. Minnesota's Kyle Gibson gave up one run on five hits and struck out six in seven innings, while Detroit's Alfredo Simon allowed one run on six hits with six strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings.
Tigers manager Brad Ausmus left Simon in to start the eighth but the Twins pushed across the tying run. Shortstop Danny Santana led off with a triple and scored one out later on Hunter's sacrifice fly.
Twins reliever Blaine Boyer escaped a ninth-inning jam. Cespedes ripped a one-out double and advanced on a groundout. Hunter then tracked down catcher James McCann's fly ball to send the game into extra innings.
Gibson extended his streak of scoreless innings to 20 before Martinez smacked an opposite-field home run with one out in the fourth. The blast was the right fielder's team-leading seventh home run but his first since April 29, also against Minnesota.
Simon wiggled out of a jam in the second after the Twins put runners in scoring position with no outs. He snuffed out the threat by striking out the next three batters.
Minnesota designed hitter Kennys Vargas was stranded at third in the fifth inning after his leadoff double.
NOTES: The Twins placed OF Shane Robinson on the family emergency list and recalled OF Aaron Hicks from Triple-A Rochester. Hicks, who started in center field, batted .336 with two home runs and 14 RBIs in 27 games with Rochester. ... Tigers RHP Justin Verlander threw a 25-pitch light bullpen session as he continues to rehab from a right triceps strain. "It's just another step that needs to happen for me to get back out there," he said. Verlander, who has not pitched this season, hopes to throw a full bullpen session in the coming days. ... Detroit SS Jose Iglesias was in the lineup after missing the previous four games with a groin injury. ... Minnesota began the day with a major-league-best 135 runs since April 15. ... Through Monday, Detroit LF Yoenis Cespedes was batting .379 with five homers and 25 RBIs in 21 career games against the Twins, including 11 multi-hit games.