MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Timo Perez drove in three runs, Nate Robertson won for the first time in six starts and the Detroit Tigers started a crucial road trip with a 4-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Friday night.
Robertson helped the Tigers win for the eighth time in 11 games and stay within 5½ games of Cleveland in the AL Central. After playing the Twins two more times, Detroit has three with the Indians next week.
Defending division champion Minnesota dropped to 14 games back with 15 to play. The New York Yankees led the wild-card race by 3½ games over Detroit when the day began.
Robertson (8-11) surrendered five hits, three walks and two runs while striking out five in seven innings. Todd Jones pitched a perfect ninth for his 35th save in 40 chances.
Matt Garza fell to 0-10 in 11 career starts at the Metrodome, and the nearly eliminated Twins lost for the eighth time in their last 11 games. Justin Morneau finally hit his 30th homer after going deep just once in his previous 47 games.
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The Twins have had a frustrating season, and Torii Hunter and manager Ron Gardenhire lost their tempers in the eighth inning. Hunter was called out on a checked-swing strikeout by first base umpire Chad Fairchild, who ejected Hunter for yelling and pointing at him as he retreated to the dugout.
Gardenhire was too late to protect Hunter, but he chewed Fairchild out and got tossed, too. Hunter came running out of the dugout and had to be restrained.
Control problems got Garza (3-6) in trouble. He issued a second-inning walk to Carlos Guillen, who scored on a single by Perez. In the sixth, with two outs and the bases loaded, Ivan Rodriguez fouled off pitch after pitch until the last one from the right-hander tailed inside for ball four.
Rodriguez stared straight ahead and let out a celebratory scream for forcing in the tying run before taking his base. Juan Rincon relieved Garza, and Perez stroked a two-run single to make it 4-2.
Garza gave up four hits and four walks while striking out two. He was charged with all four runs.
Hunter's infield single started the fourth. Morneau followed with a soaring shot to right field that bounced off the stacks of football seats to give Minnesota a 2-1 lead.
NOTES: The Twins, who have removed struggling right-hander Boof Bonser from the rotation, plan to decide Saturday whether right-hander Carlos Silva will make his next start. Silva, who pulled a groin muscle and was taken out after two innings on Wednesday, will throw his regular bullpen session. If he still feels discomfort, he'll be pushed back. ... Tigers right-hander Jeremy Bonderman will play catch next week to test his ailing elbow. Pinched cartilage is expected to keep him from pitching again this season. ... Gardenhire was ejected for the seventh time this season and the 35th time in his six-year career.
