Game 157: Tigers edge Twins in game two of doubleheader
September 29, 2009
Minnesota @ Detroit (Game 2 of 4)
Much like Zack Greinke on Sunday, Justin Verlander made his case for the Cy Young award against the Twins on Tuesday night when he regularly made the Twins batters swing wildly at his pitches that soared just below the 100 MPH mark. Verlander struck out eight while giving up four runs off eight hits in a 6-5 victory over the Twins in game two of a day-night doubleheader.
Twins starter, Brian Duensing, had his worst start on the mound this season and gave up an home run to Miguel Cabrera in the bottom of the second to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead. The Tigers tacked on two more runs in the third off a RBI double from Magglio Ordonez that scored both Adam Everett and Placido Polanco.
Duensing loaded the bases in the fifth inning with two outs before being pulled from the game. Bobby Keppel came on in relief and gave up a 2-run single to Brandon Inge to give the Tigers a 5-0 lead before getting Curtis Granderson to pop out and end the inning.
A pair of doubles got the Twins back into the game in the sixth inning when Denard Span hit a double to right and Orlando Cabrera hit a single to left to knock in the first run. Joe Mauer then doubled to right to score Cabrera from first to make it a 5-2 ballgame.
The Twins pulled within one in the eighth as they got more offensive production from Span and Cabrera who both got on with singles. A wild pitch from Justin Verlander allowed the runners to advance and Span scored on a ground out from Mauer. Jason Kubel followed with a RBI double to center to score Cabrera and make it 5-4.
The Tigers got one run back almost immediately as Curtis Granderson hit his 30th home run off Matt Guerrier in the bottom of the eighth to make it 6-4. Down by two, the Twins tried to rally in the ninth as Delmon Young got on base after Placido Polanco had troubles fielding the ball.
Young would score two batters later when Granderson misjudged a fly ball to center from Nick Punto to make it a 6-5 game. With the tying run on second, Denard Span would fly out to left to kill the rally and put an end to the doubleheader.
The loss put the Twins two games behind the Tigers in the AL Central standings, which is where they were before the doubleheader started on Tuesday afternoon.
Attendance: 30,240 (Comerica Park)
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