Tigers 3 - 4 Twins
Final
  for this game

Streaking Tigers continue series with Twins

Sep 16, 2014 - 2:41 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Detroit Tigers try to pad their lead in the American League Central and win for the fifth straight time on Tuesday when they continue a three-game series with the Minnesota Twins at Target Field.

Detroit continued to roll in Monday's opener, as Torii Hunter homered on the first pitch of the ninth inning to break a tie and lift the Tigers past the Twins, 8-6.

Hunter's shot to left-center came on a slider from Casey Fien (5-6), who gave up a homer to Miguel Cabrera on a curveball two pitches later.

"Those guys never give up over there," said Hunter. "We came through in the end."

The blasts came after the Twins had tied the score with two runs in the bottom of the eighth.

"I knew they were going to be aggressive," Fien said.

The AL Central-leading Tigers were coming off a three-game sweep of Cleveland over the weekend and have won seven of eight. They remained 1 1/2 games up on the Royals, who beat the Chicago White Sox in the ninth inning Monday night.

Detroit will visit Kansas City for three games this weekend.

Kyle Ryan (2-0) induced a double play from Eduardo Nunez to end the eighth inning after Minnesota tied the game. Ryan played stopper after the bullpen coughed up a 6-4 lead for Max Scherzer, who went seven innings.

Rick Porcello gets the call for the Tigers, as he tries to snap a three-start losing streak. Porcello lost to Kansas City on Wednesday, as he allowed a pair of runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings to fall to 15-11 to go along with a 3.23 ERA.

Porcello has faced the Twins 21 times and 8-6 with a 3.84 ERA.

Minnesota, meanwhile, will turn to righty Ricky Nolasco, who has lost his last five decisions. It's been a pretty forgettable season for Nolasco, but he has pitched well of late and was a hard-luck loser on Thursday in Cleveland, as he allowed just a run and six hits in seven innings of a 2-0 loss. He is 5-11 with a 5.64 ERA after signing a 4-year, $49 million deal with the Twins this past winter.

"Hopefully, we'll have that guy out there next year who pitched just like that today," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said after Nolasco's last start. "That was really good. He gives you a great opportunity to win."

Nolasco did not get a decision versus the Tigers earlier in the year in his only other start against them.

Detroit has won seven of its 13 matchups with the Twins this season.






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