Big eighth inning earns another Twins win over Tigers
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DETROIT -- Zack Granite hit his first major league home run, a three-run drive that capped an eight-run eighth inning for the Minnesota Twins in a 10-4 win over the Detroit Tigers on Saturday night.
Minnesota overcame a 3-1 seventh-inning deficit and won its third straight following a three-game sweep at the New York Yankees. The Twins began the night 3 games ahead of Texas for the second AL wild card.
Ervin Santana (16-8) allowed three runs and seven hits in seven innings, improve to 5-1 in his last 11 starts. He is one shy of his career high for wins, set in 2010.
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Detroit pitcher Alex Wilson broke a leg in the eighth inning when hit by Joe Mauer's line drive.
Brian Dozier led off the game with a Little League home run, bunting to Jeimer Candelario and circling the bases when the third baseman's throw went into right field for a three-base error.
Detroit, which announced Friday that manager Brad Ausmus will not return next season, has lost six straight and allowed has allowed double-digit runs eight times in September. At 62-93, the Tigers will finish with their worst record since going 43-119 in 2003.
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Daniel Stumpf (0-1) allowed three runs and three hits without retiring a batter in his first big league decision.
Mauer singled off Wilson to open the eighth, fracturing Wilson's right fibula.
Jorge Polanco greeted Stumpf with a single, and Eddie Rosario and Eduardo Escobar followed with RBI singles for a 4-3 lead. Robbie Grossman hit a two-run off Joe Jimenez, Jason Castro had an RBI groundout and Granite, who entered as a pinch runner for Mauer, went deep against Blaine Hardy in his 93rd big league plate appearance.
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Grossman's RBI single in the seventh began Minnesota's comeback.
Efren Navarro hit two solo home runs for Detroit.
TRAINER'S ROOM
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Tigers: 1B Miguel Cabrera left in the second inning with lower back tightness . . . Candelario left in the ninth inning with a bruised right knee. . . . OF Mikie Mahtook, who reinjured his left groin while fielding a ball in the left-field corner Friday's loss to the Twins, probably will not play again this season. He has a Grade 2 strain, Ausmus said. . . . RHP Jeff Farrell (concussion symptoms) also seems doubtful to return to action before season's end. "He's progressing through the concussion protocol, but he's not been cleared," Ausmus said.
Twins: OF Max Kepler left the game in the second inning with a left hip injury.
UP NEXT
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RHP Jose Berrios (12-8), who starts for the Twins in Sunday's series finale, is winless since Aug. 30 and has surrendered 11 earned runs in his last 21 innings. RHP Buck Farmer (4-4), who starts for the Tigers, is 1-3 with an 8.59 ERA in four September starts.