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 The 60 hits in a four-game series were the most for Detroit since
1956 and were the most allowed by the Twins in a four-gamer in
franchise history.
"The four games here, the bats really picked up the pace," said
Tigers manager Brad Ausmus. "Hopefully we ca carry that into the
next series here."
The Tigers broke open a tie game with three-straight two-run innings
beginning in the fifth.
Twice, designated hitter Victor Martinez was in the middle of the
action, giving the Tigers the lead for good with an RBI single in
the fifth inning, then hammering his 25th homer of the season with
two outs in the sixth.
"That ball was on the white line (of the batter's box)," said Twins
right-hander Kyle Gibson. "Pretty incredible. Combination of
strength and just being pretty good. It's impressive."
The 25 homers for Martinez tie a career-high he set as a member of
the Cleveland Indians in 2007.
Center fielder Rajai Davis added a two-run homer of his own -- his
seventh -- in the seventh inning to make it 9-3.
"We've been waiting for this for a little while now," Ausmus said.
"It was nice to see the bats explode a little bit."
Right-hander Max Scherzer got the win, allowing three runs on seven
hits and a walk in five innings, improving to 15-4.
Gibson was responsible for five runs on eight hits and four walks
over 4 2/3 innings, dropping to 11-10. He has allowed at least five
runs in three of his last four starts.
"Early on, it felt like it was going to be a start to get me back on
track," Gibson said. "They had a couple of plays where I was down in
the zone and they put them in the right spots."
Martinez and shortstop Eugenio Suarez each had three hits to pace
the Tigers. Five others had two hits and every starter had at least
one.
Martinez and right fielder Torii Hunter each knocked in four runs,
including a bases loaded triple by Hunter in the eighth inning after
Twins right fielder Oswaldo Arcia misplayed a line drive.
Hunter hit safely in nine of Detroit's 10 games here at Target Field
this season, including multi-hit efforts in eighth of those games.
He knocked in 11 runs in those games and batted .528.
After watching the Twins score 32 runs in the first two games of the
series -- both Minnesota wins -- Detroit came back with 21 of their
own in the final two.
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"It hurts, the way we lost those games," Martinez said. "But
that's something we have done before. You keep your head up and keep
grinding, keep going up there and having good at-bats and trying to
put up runs."
Detroit took an early lead, scoring three runs in the third inning
on back-to-back singles by second baseman Ian Kinsler and Hunter.
Martinez knocked in another on a fielder's choice.
The Twins got all three back in the bottom half of the inning on a
two-run double by center fielder Danny Santana and a run-scoring
single by second baseman Brian Dozier.
Santana had two hits and the two RBIs. Designated hitter Kennys
Vargas had three hits. The two rookies each have at least 30 hits
this month, becoming the Twins' first rookie teammates to have 30
hits in a month since 1975. They are the first rookies in all of
baseball to accomplish the feat this season.
NOTES: Tigers 1B/DH Miguel Cabrera was not in the lineup Sunday
after aggravating a sore right ankle Saturday. With an off-day
Monday, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus thought having two days off in a
row would help Cabrera. ... Tigers RHP Anibal Sanchez, on the 15-day
disabled list since Aug. 9 with a strain in his right pectoral,
could return as soon as Saturday in a doubleheader against Chicago.
The right-hander is scheduled to throw Monday and off a mound two
days later if all goes well. ... Tigers RHP Joakim Soria was
scheduled to throw for a second straight day Sunday. He has been on
the 15-day DL since Aug. 10 with a left oblique strain. ... Twins
RHP Yohan Pino reported soreness behind his right throwing elbow
following a five-inning performance in game one of Saturday's
doubleheader. Pino was optioned to Triple-A Rochester after the game
but will remain in the Twin Cities to get treatment.
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
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