Dozier, Santiago help Twins beat Tigers
DETROIT -- Brian Dozier's two-run single to left capped a four-run second inning and Hector Santiago stymied Detroit for 5 2/3 innings Thursday to help the Minnesota Twins defeat the Tigers 5-1 and gain a split of their four-game series.
Detroit elected to pitch to Minnesota's hottest hitter with two outs and runners on second and third. Dozier took the second of two flat breaking balls thrown by Mike Pelfrey (4-10) and stroked it into left field to drive in two runs and lift his season's RBI count to 98.
Santiago (12-8) shut out the Tigers on four hits through five innings but J.D. Martinez singled with one out in the sixth and James McCann lined a two-out RBI double to extreme left field to drive in Detroit's run.
J.T. Chargois got the third out of the inning, Alex Wimmers held Detroit at bay for two innings and Brandon Kintzler preserved Santiago's first win in four decisions at Comerica Park with a shutout ninth.
The Twins added a run in the ninth on Eddie Rosario's infield single, a sacrifice and an RBI single to left by Byron Buxton, making it 5-1.
Pelfrey breezed through the first three hitters in his first start since July 31 but the first four Minnesota batters in the second all reached base and scored.
Kennys Vargas doubled and scored on a single to center by Max Kepler, who went to third when first baseman Miguel Cabrera mishandled Pelfrey's pickoff try for an error. Eduardo Escobar singled Kepler home, Rosario bunted for a hit, Juan Centeno sacrificed and Dozier stroked his two-run single to left on a 2-2 pitch.
Second-place Detroit is still on the fringes of the rush for the second wild-card spot in the American League and enters a weekend series against first-place Cleveland almost needing a three-game sweep to retain serious hopes of overtaking the Indians in the AL Central. The Tigers entered play Thursday six games behind the Indians.
NOTES: Detroit CF Cameron Maybin was not in the starting lineup as manager Brad Ausmus noticed his sore left thumb was bothering him. ... Minnesota had Joe Mauer, who had missed four games with a bad quad, back in its starting lineup as the DH. ... Chances of Tigers 3B Nick Castellanos (left thumb) returning by season's end are dimming as he's at least a week away from hitting game-style pitching. He was injured six weeks ago. ... C Kurt Suzuki is not likely to play for the Twins until this weekend after suffering a five-stitch cut on his chin Wednesday night. Manager Paul Molitor will probably DH Suzuki before he catches again.