Tigers sweep Twins, move into playoff position
MINNEAPOLIS -- Justin Verlander pitched six strong innings as the Detroit Tigers completed a doubleheader of the Minnesota Twins with a 4-2 win Thursday night.
The Tigers swept the three-game series at Target Field, and thanks to the Baltimore Orioles getting swept by the Boston Red Sox, Detroit now owns sole possession of the second American League wild-card spot. The Tigers (82-70) are a half-game up on the Orioles (82-71).
The Toronto Blue Jays (83-69) hold the first wild-card position and are 1 1/2 games in front of Detroit.
Verlander's dominance of the Twins' lineup was one of several keys for the Tigers' sweep. Verlander (15-8) struck out 11 batters in six innings, limiting Minnesota to two runs on four hits. He was spotted a 2-0 lead in the second inning when his counterpart, Twins right-hander Ervin Santana, struggled with his command.
Francisco Rodriguez threw a perfect ninth inning for his 44th save.
Santana (7-11) went six innings and surrendered four runs (two earned). However, he walked four batters and threw a pair of wild pitches among his 101 deliveries.
With the game tied 2-2, Detroit regained the lead thanks to an Erick Aybar sixth-inning single off Santana that scored Justin Upton. Aybar later advanced to third base on a wild pitch and scored on a passed ball to make it a 4-2 Tigers advantage.
Minnesota's offense couldn't do much against Verlander or Detroit's bullpen. The Twins' lineup struck out 17 times in the series finale while managing a total of just four hits.
No player for either team had more than one hit. Byron Buxton hit his eighth homer of the year -- and seventh this month -- with a solo shot off Verlander in the bottom of the fifth. That tied it 2-2, but the Twins never scratched across another run.
After striking out the side in the first inning, Santana ran into trouble in the second. Minnesota's top pitcher gave up a leadoff single to Victor Martinez before walking the next three batters.
One batter later, Jarrod Saltalamacchia's sacrifice fly scored J.D. Martinez for a 2-0 lead.
The Twins got on the board in the third when catcher Juan Centeno tagged a solo home run to right-center field off Verlander. It was the third home run of the season for Centeno in his 51st game.
Detroit won the opener 9-2, thanks in part by home runs from Upton and Victor Martinez.
NOTES: Twins 3B Miguel Sano returned to the lineup for the first game of Thursday's doubleheader, and went 1-for-4. Sano was sidelined since Sept. 12 because of a back injury. ... Detroit 2B Ian Kinsler (concussion-like symptoms) did not start either game, though he worked out on the field before the doubleheader. The Tigers hope Kinsler might return to action Friday against Kansas City. ... Twins 2B Brian Dozier's first-inning homer in the opener was his 42nd of the season and 40th as a second baseman. That set a single-season record for homers by an American League second baseman. ... The Twins play host to the Seattle Mariners beginning Friday, while the Tigers will return home to face the Kansas City Royals.