Detroit Tigers open series with Twins

Tigers defeat Twins 4-2 to reduce magic number to 2

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Max Scherzer delivers home in the 4th inning

Thomas Baird

Review photographer talking with the Fox Sports girls

Thomas Baird

Miguel Cabrera crossing the plate after his home run in the 3rd inning

Lloyd Sanders

Max Scherzer looked sharp tonight striking out 9 Twins in 6 innings

Lloyd Sanders

Oswaldo Arcia taking a swing at Scherzer\'s pitch

Thomas Baird

Detroit\'s Cy Young pitcher Max Scherzer keeping the runner close at 1st base

Lloyd Sanders

Trivia Question \"What is the name of this 38 year MLB umpire?\"

Thomas Baird

The always impressive Statues out in Left Field of famous Detroit Tigers

Thomas Baird

The Fox Sports Detroit sign in right field. They broadcast all of the Tiger games

Lloyd Sanders

Rajai Davis and J.D. Martinez going after a fly in left center field. The catch by Martinez

Lloyd Sanders

The Detroit Tigers opened a final four game series with the Minnesota Twins for the Central Division title still in doubt. The Tigers entered the game with a two game lead over the Kansas City Royals who will finish the season against the Chicago White Sox.

The 88-70 Tigers would send Max Scherzer to the mound in the first game against the Twins on a beautiful 72 degree evening at Comerica Park. With a large crowd of just over 36,000 fans in the ballpark one could feel the playoff pressure through out. The game would start out perfect for the Tigers over the first four innings with Scherzer mowing down the Twins. He would record 8 strikeouts in the first four innings.

Victor Martinez would get things started in the right direction by stroking a 2 run home run to right field after a Torii Hunter double. Miguel Cabrera kept things going by hitting his 24th home run in the third inning to make the score 3-0. Scherzer would struggle a bit in the middle innings giving up 2 earned runs but striking out 9 in 6 innings of work.

Now with the best part of the evening still ahead was the Detroit Tiger bullpen which has been shaky for most of the season. However tonight the bullpen shined. Joakim Soria, Joba Chamberlain and Joe Nathan would mow down the Twins in order. Each reliever faced just 3 batters and retired them all.

Detroit added an insurance run in the 7th inning with Alex Avilla getting a base hit and moving to second on a sacrifice bunt. Rajai Davis then his a double to score Avilla for the 4-2 lead and victory. That moved the Tigers to 89-70 with just 3 games to go. The Royals would also win tonight to stay just 2 games behind the Tigers. Detroit has guaranteed themselves at least a wild card spot but would like to win a 4th consecutive Central Division pennant in a row.

Now just 3 games remain in the season and the Tigers can clinch with 2 wins in the final three games. The Tigers appear to be running on all cylinders right now at the best time of the MLB season.

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