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Tigers-Twins Preview

Sep 19, 2009 - 4:59 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Detroit (78-68) at Minnesota (74-72), 4:10 p.m. EDT

Minnesota is doing all it can to put pressure on the stumbling first-place Detroit Tigers. Sending Carl Pavano to the mound could help the Twins move closer to catching the AL Central leader.

The surging Twins look for a season-high sixth straight victory in the continuation of a key weekend series with the Tigers on Saturday at the Metrodome.

Michael Cuddyer hit a two-run homer and Brian Duensing pitched 6 1-3 solid innings as Minnesota (75-72) beat Detroit 3-0 in Friday's series opener.

The second-place Twins have won five in a row and are three games behind the Tigers (78-69), who've dropped two straight and eight of 11. It's the closest Minnesota has been to first place since Aug. 2.

"We're pitching well. We're getting hits when we need 'em, and we're not making mistakes," Cuddyer said. "That's what we've been accustomed to over the years, and that's what we're going to have to continue to do to continue to climb."

These teams play each other six more times, including four at Detroit, in the final two weeks.

"Fun baseball," Tigers third baseman Brandon Inge said of the division race. "We don't think about it. We take it one game at a time. We do well, the outcome will be where we want it to be."

The Twins, who are playing their second-to-last series at the Metrodome before moving to new outdoor Target Field next season, are 6-1 at home against the Tigers.

Minnesota has a chance to improve on that mark as they turn to Pavano (12-11, 4.91 ERA), who's 4-0 with a 1.48 ERA this season and overall against Detroit.

Pavano allowed five hits in seven innings of an 11-0 win over the Tigers on Aug. 8 - a day after he was acquired by Minnesota in a trade with Cleveland.

"He's always throws the first strike and keeps ahead of the hitters," Inge said of Pavano.

The right-hander, who's 3-3 with a 3.75 ERA in eight starts for Minnesota, gave up three runs in six innings, but didn't receive a decision as the Twins rallied for a 6-3 win over Cleveland on Monday.

Cuddyer increased his career-high homer total to 27 and is 9 for 20 with three home runs and 10 RBIs in his last five contests. He's batting .327 with four homers and 11 RBIs against Detroit this season, but 5 for 27 versus the Tigers' scheduled starter Justin Verlander.

Verlander (16-8, 3.34) allowed five runs in six innings against the Twins in Pavano's Minnesota debut last month, and will look for his first win in three starts in this contest.

After allowing two runs over 14 innings in his previous two starts, Verlander allowed five and 10 hits while striking out nine in seven innings of a 6-5, 10-inning win over Toronto on Monday.

The right-hander is 4-5 with a 4.08 ERA in 12 starts against Minnesota, including 0-1 with a 5.11 ERA in two this season.

All-Star Curtis Granderson and Marcus Thames each had two of the five hits Friday for Detroit, which has scored seven runs in its last four games and is batting .237 at the Metrodome in 2009.

Though Granderson has a pair of two-hit efforts in his last three contests, he's hitting .171 in his last 10 games, but .357 versus Pavano.