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The Detroit Tigers defeated the Minnesota Twins 4-2 on Thursday night to take the series opener in Detroit.
More importantly for the Tigers, the win lowered their magic number to clinch the American League Central Division to two.
Tigers ace Max Scherzer (18-5) looked like he was tuned up for postseason play. Scherzer kept the Twins off the scoreboard until the fifth inning and held them without a hit until the fourth. Scherzer gave up two runs on five hits in six innings to pick up the victory.
Trevor May (3-6) was scrappy for the Twins. He gave up a two-run home run to Victor Martinez in the first inning, but fought back and kept the Twins in the game. Despite the loss, May held Detroit to three runs over six innings to get a quality start.
May also surrendered a solo home run to Miguel Cabrera in the fourth inning.
Martinez was 3-for-4 with the home run – his 32nd of the season.
The Twins made a game out of it with two runs in the fifth inning to cut the Tigers lead to one. Joe Mauer hit a two-run double to score both Brian Dozier and Danny Santana.
But after Scherzer’s six innings the Tigers turned it over to their bullpen. Joakim Soria, Joba Chamberlain and Joe Nathan worked a perfect seventh, eighth and ninth innings to shutdown the Twins.
Joe Nathan gets soft grounder and two strikeouts to finish off the Twins, 4-2, and move the Tigers closer to clinching AL Central title.
— Phil Miller (@MillerStrib) September 26, 2014
Anthony Swarzak (3-2) starts for the Twins on Friday against Rick Porcello (15-12) for the Tigers. First pitch is at 6:08 p.m.
