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Tigers, Twins collide in Minnesota

Jul 23, 2011 - 2:36 PM (Sports Network) - Despite having a negative scoring differential through 99 games this season, the Detroit Tigers find themselves atop the American League Central standings heading into the weekend.

Unfortunately for the Minnesota Twins, the hosts of a four-game set at Target Field, their failure to score runs in 2011 is second-worst in the AL right now (minus-75), which explains why the club is fourth in the division standings and seven games behind the Tigers.

Detroit, which has scored five fewer runs than the competition this year, tallied runs in five of the first six innings on Friday as it captured an 8-2 win over the Twins. Jhonny Peralta finished up 3-for-5 with a solo home run and four RBI for a Detroit club which has now defeated Minnesota in 11 consecutive meetings. So far this year the Tigers have feasted on the rest of the division in fact, winning 21 of the 31 contests with said opponents.

Ryan Raburn went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and two runs scored while Carlos Guillen drove in two for the Tigers as they won their second in a row and the fourth in five tries.

Starting pitcher Max Scherzer logged his 11th win of the season, giving up just one run on four hits with a walk over seven innings of action for the visitors as they evened their road mark at 24-24.

"We're just playing good baseball right now," said Scherzer. "You really don't get caught up in the numbers cause you know they are a good team over there and they can beat you. You just go out and play the game the way you know how and things will work out."

Danny Valencia and Jim Thome both drove in a run for the Twins, who have dropped four of six decisions and are now fourth in the standings and seven games behind Detroit. Brian Duensing dropped his first decision in five starts as he was touched for seven runs on nine hits over just 4 2/3 innings. Duensing is now 1-3 in 15 career appearances versus the Tigers.

Getting his third crack at the Tigers this season, Twins hurler Scott Baker heads back to the hill this afternoon in search of his first win of the campaign versus the competition.

Baker, who is 0-1 this season and 6-5 in his career when matched up against Detroit, has been cleared to make the start for Minnesota after coming off the DL with an elbow injury. The right-hander's last appearance came on July 5 when he made it through five innings against Tampa Bay, permitting one run on three hits, while striking out three and coming up with his second straight victory in a 3-2 decision.

Slated to counter for the Tigers is Brad Penny. The right-hander is also shooting for his third straight win after giving up three runs on nine hits, over 6 2/3 innings in a 4-3 triumph versus the White Sox last weekend.

Penny, a 12-year veteran out of Oklahoma, failed to record a decision in his first meeting against Minnesota this season, but is 2-0 in his career with a hefty 5.79 ERA in four all-time appearances versus the Twins.

Both of these clubs are batting just under .250 at this stage of the season, the problem with Minnesota being primarily a lack of power with just 60 homes runs and a .357 slugging percentage. Part of the issue has been missing Joe Mauer in the lineup and even though he hit safely in seven straight games leading up to yesterday's outing, totaling 14 hits during the stretch, he has still yet to connect on his first home run of the season.