• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Cabrera helps Tigers rally past Twins again

Apr 16, 2008 - 3:24 AM DETROIT (Ticker) -- Miguel Cabrera's two-run homer in the eighth inning on Tuesday snapped a tie and lifted the Detroit Tigers to a 6-5 triumph over the Minnesota Twins in the finale of a brief two-game series.

The Tigers, who rallied from a pair of five-run deficits in Monday's victory, trailed by three runs in this one.

Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Guillen each hit solo home runs as part of the comeback for Detroit, which won back-to-back contests for the first time this season.

"We've been out of sync," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "Hopefully with these two games, we'll get in a little better sync mentally and then some pieces will start to fall into place a little bit better for us."

After Ordonez tied the contest at 4-4 with a run-scoring double to right field in the eighth inning, Cabrera crushed a 1-2 offering from Twins reliever Jesse Crain (0-1) over the left field wall.

"I threw a good pitch to Ordonez and he hit it, and (I) just came up and over the ball to Cabrera," Crain said. "For the second night in a row, we (relievers) wasted a good game from our starter."

After walking Placido Polanco with one out in the eighth with Minnesota holding a 4-3 advantage, Crain's pickoff attempt was off the mark and sailed past first baseman Justin Morneau, allowing Polanco to advance to third.

Crain looked like he might get out of the jam unscathed after getting Gary Sheffield to pop out to the catcher. But Ordonez followed with a double down the right field line, plating Polanco and setting the stage for Cabrera's heroics.

"That was a fastball," Cabrera said. "I got my hands out in front. It's what I need, good at-bats at the right time, do my best."

Clay Rapada (1-0) picked up his first career win after retiring both Joe Mauer and Morneau in the eighth, and Todd Jones notched his third save of the season despite surrendering a run in the ninth.

"That's going to be my job, to get these tough lefties out," Rapada said. "I feel like I can't be afraid to go at them with my fastball. I feel like it's my best pitch."

Before leaving the game with a back injury in the seventh, Tigers starter Nate Robertson yielded four runs and six hits with a walk and five strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings.

"In the sixth, I threw a slider and felt something pull," Robertson said. "I went back out in the seventh and it tightened up. I don't anticipate missing a start."

Twins starter Scott Baker worked seven innings, allowing three runs and five hits with two walks and three strikeouts.

Morneau blasted a two-run shot and Mauer had two hits and drove in a pair of runs for the Twins, who have lost three straight games.

"It was another one of those games that we let get away in the end," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said.