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Streaking Tigers rally to nip Twins

Baseball Betting Lines

07/01/2008 - Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Curtis Granderson singled in the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth inning and the Detroit Tigers rallied to down the Minnesota Twins, 5-4, in the opener of a three-game set between a pair of clubs playing exceptional baseball of late.

Granderson finished 3-for-4 and scored a run for the Tigers, who have reeled off six straight wins. Placido Polanco and Gary Sheffield each had two hits, with Polanco knocking in a run. Marcus Thames added a solo home run for Detroit, which owns a record of 18-4 over its last 22 games.

Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera departed in the top of the third inning due to a tight left hip flexor. He is listed as day-to-day.

Armando Galarraga gave up four runs -- three earned -- on nine hits over six innings, but came away with a no-decision for Detroit. Casey Fossum (1-0) got the win after tossing 1 1/3 scoreless frames. Joel Zumaya pitched the final 1 2/3 innings to notch his first save of the season.

Joe Mauer went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a run scored for Minnesota, which lost for just the second time in its last 13 contests. Denard Span had two hits and knocked in run, while Carlos Gomez and Alexi Casilla collected two hits apiece and scored a run.

"We should have won that game, it's pretty frustrating," Mauer said. "It's a tough loss, but we know what those guys have over there. They got a tough lineup that can score some runs. It's a tough loss. We had the lead and let it go."

Glen Perkins was brilliant for the Twins, allowing two runs on seven hits and striking out a career-high seven batters in 6 1/3 innings. Matt Guerrier (4-3) was saddled with the loss as he gave up two runs in 1 1/3 innings of work.

Trailing 4-1, the Tigers scored four unanswered runs against the Twins bullpen.

In the seventh, Granderson reached on a one-out single. Perkins was then lifted in favor of Jesse Crain, who walked Edgar Renteria and yielded an RBI single to Polanco. Dennys Reyes then took over the mound and Carlos Guillen stroked a run-scoring single to left, narrowing the deficit to 4-3.

Detroit pulled ahead in the eighth. Sheffield stroked a leadoff single and a triple by pinch-hitter Matt Joyce produced the tying run. Granderson then lined a single to center to give the visitors the lead.

Zumaya worked around a pair of singles by Gomez and Span in the ninth to nail down the third save of his career.

"It was a real good ball game," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said. "Both starters pitched well. We didn't play real well to start. I thought we hung in there big and Joyce came up with a pinch hit."

The Twins jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, as Casilla singled, took second on Polanco's throwing error and scored on a double by Mauer.

Detroit quickly tied the score in the second on Thames 15th home run of the season, a lead-off blast to right.

Mauer worked a walk to prolong the third and Justin Morneau followed with a single that left fielder Clete Thomas misplayed, allowing Mauer to scamper home.

The Twins tacked on another run in the fifth. Gomez hooked a one-out double into the left-field corner, stole third and crossed the plate on Mauer's infield single for a 3-1 lead.

Three straight two-out hits by Brian Buscher, Brendan Harris and Span in the sixth plated a fourth run for Minnesota. Ryan Raburn nearly made an outstanding diving catch on the ball hit by Span, but the umpires ruled that the right fielder trapped the ball and Span was credited with an RBI double.

Game Notes

The Tigers have recorded at least 10 hits in six straight games...Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire was ejected in the bottom of the third inning by home plate umpire James Hoye...Detroit committed three errors...Detroit starter Jeremy Bonderman underwent successful surgery on Monday to correct thoracic outlet compression syndrome, which is a pinching of the vein responsible for returning blood from the arm to the heart and caused a clot...Detroit infielder Ramon Santiago was scheduled to begin an injury rehab assignment Monday at Triple-A Toledo. He has been sidelined since June 5 with a separated left shoulder...The Tigers went 19-8 in the month of June. Minnesota was 17-11...Detroit's Nate Robertson (6-6) and Minnesota's Scott Baker (4-2) are scheduled to start on Tuesday.