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Twins-Tigers Preview

Apr 27, 2010 - 5:03 AM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Minnesota (13-6) at Detroit (10-9), 7:05 p.m. EDT

Playing Game 163 for the second straight year, the Minnesota Twins defeated the Detroit Tigers last season in one of the most memorable games in baseball history. The reigning AL Central champs know that neither team has forgotten.

In the first matchup since last season's one-game playoff, the division-leading Twins look for another solid effort from the resurgent Francisco Liriano on Monday when they face struggling right-hander Justin Verlander.

After falling to the Chicago White Sox 1-0 in Game 163 in 2008, Minnesota (13-6) forced a one-game playoff with Detroit last season by winning 16 of its final 20 games.

Playing its final regular-season game at the Metrodome, the Twins defeated the Tigers 6-5 in 12 innings Oct. 6 on Alexi Casilla's game-winning RBI single.

For Minnesota, it marked its fifth division title in eight seasons. For Detroit - denied its first division title since 1987 - it earned the distinction of being the first team to miss the playoffs after holding a three-game lead with four games left.

"Obviously they haven't forgotten what happened last year as much as we haven't forgotten," first baseman Justin Morneau told the Twins' official website. "I think they are going to be gunning for us at their place. We better be ready."

The Tigers (11-9) should also be ready for Liriano (2-0, 1.29 ERA), who has not allowed a run while winning his last two starts. He has not surrendered a homer this season after getting tagged for 21 in 2009, when he finished 5-13 with a 5.80 ERA.

"He is definitely getting it back," Twins center fielder Denard Span said after Liriano posted eight innings of six-hit ball in Wednesday's 6-0 win over Cleveland.

Liriano is 2-0 with a 2.95 ERA in his last three starts versus Detroit.

Back home following a 5-6 trip, the Tigers look for a better performance from Verlander (1-1, 6.95), who tied for the major league lead last year with 19 wins but has yet to show that form in 2010.

Despite walking a season-high four and throwing 125 pitches in five innings, Verlander picked up his first victory Thursday against the Los Angeles Angels.

"I really don't feel like I deserve this win," he said following the 5-4 victory.

Verlander will likely need a better effort against a Twins club that batted .296 and averaged 6.7 runs in winning two of three in Kansas City over the weekend.

Reigning AL MVP Joe Mauer went 8 for 16 against the Royals, raising his team-leading batting average to .382. Mauer is hitting .378 with three homers and nine RBIs in his career against Verlander.

Morneau, who has reached base safely in each game this season, is hitting .476 with two homers and seven RBIs while hitting safely in six straight games.

With no home runs in his first 70 at-bats, Tigers third baseman Brandon Inge hit two in Monday's 8-6 win at Texas.

Inge's RBI double in the 10th inning of last season's Game 163 gave the Tigers a one-run lead, but the Twins tied it on Matt Tolbert's RBI single. Inge also appeared to get hit with the bases loaded in the 12th inning of that game, but the umpire didn't agree and Inge grounded into a fielder's choice as Detroit failed to score.

Miguel Cabrera enters the series with a .363 batting average and a major league-best 24 RBIs. He went 2 for 5 with a two-run homer in the one-game playoff after being criticized for a drunken dispute with his wife during the final weekend of the season.

Cabrera is 3 for 9 with a homer lifetime against Liriano.