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DETROIT - Eduardo Nunez singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth as visiting Minnesota rallied to take the rubber match of a three-game set from Detroit 4-3 Sunday.
Danny Santana and Josmil Pinto each singled in a run and Joe Mauer scored the tying run on an error in the three-run eighth to make a winner out of Jared Burton (1-1) in relief. Glen Perkins got the final out of the eighth with the potential tying run on third and retired the side in the ninth for his 10th save.
Joba Chamberlain (1-2) allowed three runs - two earned - on two hits in the eighth inning as the Tigers bullpen wasted six scoreless frames from rookie Robbie Ray. Ian Kinsler hit a solo homer and Miguel Cabrera recorded two hits, an RBI and a run scored as Detroit fell for the third time in four games.
Kinsler doubled leading off the first and scored on Cabrera’s sacrifice fly to center, and Austin Jackson’s one-out single in the fourth made it 2-0. Kinsler struck again leading off the fifth, lining a 2-1 cutter into the stands in left for his third home run and a 3-0 cushion.
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Ray handed it off to Al Alburquerque in the seventh and the right-hander yielded a one-out single before Ian Krol came on and surrendered Santana’s single to right that plated Minnesota’s first run. Chamberlain took over in the eighth, hit the first batter and walked the second before striking out a pair, but Pinto’s single to left scored Brian Dozier and Mauer scored on left fielder Rajai Davis’ error in front of Nunez’s single to center.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Mauer served as designated hitter for the second straight day and has gone a week without playing in the field due to back spasms. ... Minnesota RHP Casey Fien left in the eighth inning with a right arm contusion. ... Twins manager Ron Gardenhire was ejected for the first time this season and 68th time in his career during the fourth inning. The controversy involved a bases-loaded grounder to short by Detroit shortstop Andrew Romine that struck Jackson. Jackson was automatically out but Gardenhire felt Jackson intentionally let the ball hit him to prevent a double play and thus Romine should have also been called out.
SATURDAY’S GAME
Pair of three-run homers spark Tigers’ 9-3 win
DETROIT - Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez each hit a three-run homer and Max Scherzer worked six solid innings as Detroit evened the three-game series with visiting Minnesota by collecting a 9-3 win Saturday.
Alex Avila and Andrew Romine both drove in a run and scored for the Tigers, who ended a brief two-game slide. Scherzer (5-1) could not make it three straight scoreless starts but turned in another quality effort with three runs allowed on five hits and four walks.
Brian Dozier hit a three-run homer but Kyle Gibson (3-3) was knocked around for six runs on seven hits in two innings for the Twins. Anthony Swarzak worked four scoreless innings of relief to keep Minnesota in the game but the damage was done in Detroit’s six-run second inning.
Austin Jackson and Don Kelly led off the second inning with back-to-back hits before Jackson was cut down at the plate on a fielder’s choice. Avila followed with an RBI single to center, Romine delivered a single to right and Avila scored on a fielder’s choice before Cabrera slammed an 0-1 slider the opposite way to the first row in right for his fifth homer and a 6-0 cushion.
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Dozier followed a walk and a double with a drive down the line in left off Scherzer in the third but the Twins left runners in scoring position in the fourth, fifth and sixth against the reigning Cy Young Award winner. Martinez belted his eighth home run in the seventh inning to put the game away.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Cabrera’s homer was the 370th of his career, tying Gil Hodges for 73rd place on the all-time list. ... Minnesota C Kurt Suzuki was robbed of a home run in the first inning when Kelly leaped at the wall in left and brought the ball back.
