H E
Min 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 15 1
Det 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 5 X 7 9 1
Date of game: 7/5/2012

Recap: Detroit vs. Minnesota

Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - The Tigers, stymied much of the day by Scott Diamond, erupted for a five-run eighth inning against the Twins bullpen on Thursday to earn a split in their four-game series.

Prince Fielder delivered a three-run homer and Delmon Young added a solo shot in the inning, propelling Detroit to a 7-3 win over Minnesota in the finale.

Diamond kept the Twins ahead 3-2 after seven innings, but Alex Burnett, Tyler Robertson and Anthony Swarzak each gave up at least a run in the eighth.

Detroit's rally was sparked by Austin Jackson's one-out triple to the right field corner off Burnett (2-1) and he scored the tying run on Miguel Cabrera's single, just after pinch-hitter Quintin Berry walked.

"He was able to go first to third," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said of Berry. "We don't have a lot of guys who can do that. That was huge for us, to set up at least a sac fly from Miguel."

Fielder's three-run blast to right, his 13th of the season, came against Robertson and Young got his seventh homer on Swarzak's second pitch. It hit off the top of the wall in right-center and was ruled a home run after a replay.

The Tigers won the last two games of the series and are 4-2 in their last six while the Twins have dropped two straight on the heels of a five-game winning streak.

Diamond didn't allow a hit until the fourth inning and gave up just five all game. He struck out four and walked one.

"It got away from us," said Twins manager Ron Gardenhire. "Diamond did a heck of a job."

Tigers starter Rick Porcello yielded 12 hits and three runs in just 3 2/3 innings. Struggling anyway, he came out after being hit by a line drive.

Octavio Dotel (2-2) threw 1 1/3 innings for the win and Jose Valverde pitched the ninth to lock it up.

The game was delayed 82 minutes by rain after Wednesday's game was pushed back nearly 2 1/2 hours because of the wet stuff.

Diamond faced the minimum through three innings, walking Young in the second inning but getting Jhonny Peralta to hit into a double play afterward.

Meanwhile, the Twins took a 1-0 lead on back-to-back-to-back singles by Trevor Plouffe, Darin Mastroianni and Brian Dozier in the second inning. Mastroianni and Dozier were both thrown out at home in the inning, but the Twins went up 3-0 in the fourth.

The inning was a disaster for Porcello and the Tigers, though they limited the damage to a pair of runs on RBI singles by Denard Span and Joe Mauer.

Two singles came on deflected balls, including Span's. Mastroianni scored on Span's hit after he earlier avoided being picked off first base when Fielder whiffed on the swipe tag even though he had the Twins left fielder dead to rights.

Fielder collided with catcher Gerald Laird as they converged -- along with Porcello -- on a bunt pop-up in front of the plate. Porcello dropped the ball and Laird was shaken up after taking an elbow to the face, only putting the mask back on following a visit from the trainer.

Ryan Raburn dove for Mauer's RBI single in left, but short-hopped the ball, and Porcello was taken out for Darin Downs after getting hit by a Ryan Doumit liner.

Jackson had Detroit's first hit, a leadoff double in the bottom of the fourth, and scored on Cabrera's single to get the Tigers within 3-1.

Mastroianni had three hits, including a leadoff single in the eighth. He stole second and third, but was out easily at home plate on Jamey Carroll's failed suicide squeeze attempt on Dotel's low and outside pitch.

Game Notes

The Tigers improved to 5-4 in the season series. They remain home for a three- game series against Kansas City starting Friday...The Twins start a three-game series at Texas on Friday.

CAA Football could return to divisions

The addition of Elon University in the 2014 season creates the possibility of CAA Football returning to divisional alignment, commissioner Tom Yeager said Thursday.

NASCAR News
Hamlin sets new track qualifying record at Charlotte

Denny Hamlin easily broke the track qualifying record at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Thursday night to earn the pole for Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 -- the longest race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

49ers sign Carradine, McDonald

The San Francisco 49ers signed defensive tackle Tank Carradine and tight end Vance McDonald to four-year contracts on Thursday.

Oblique strain sends Phillies' Utley to DL

The Philadelphia Phillies have placed second baseman Chase Utley on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right oblique.

Nothin' but Net: To Hibbert, or not to Hibbert

On Thursday morning, everyone with a basketball opinion stated it about Indiana Pacers head coach Frank Vogel's decision to keep center Roy Hibbert on the bench during the closing sequence of the Miami Heat's Game 1 victory in the Eastern Conference Finals.

King of the Mountain: Avs name Patrick Roy head coach

The Colorado Avalanche on Thursday agreed in principle to name Hall of Fame goaltender Patrick Roy the club's new head coach and vice president of hockey operations.

Latest Sports Photos
Latest Sports Photos
0 Votes
SEC Champions Alabama created by artist Ben Teeter S/N C.O.A. available for the dedicated Alabama fan!

1 Vote
first catch of the season looks like a good year

0 Votes
Gina McLeroy Spring City, TN

0 Votes
Our Son Brandon McLeroy MTSU Football 2011 Gina McLeroy Spring City TN

1 Vote
this is James Howard telling Gracie what to do.

0 Votes
Riverbend fun!

0 Votes
I nees a four letter word for the outside layer of a tree.

0 Votes
Cameron is a rising athlete. He has a God given talent for the game of football. This picture is of him stopping the ball carrier in our game in the ...

1 Vote
Our Lookout Valley 9/10 year old team went to a tournament in Knoxville called The Battle of the Rocky Top. They went throught the tournament undefeated and won the championship ...

1 Vote
The Lookout Valley 9-10 year old team traveled to Knoxville, playing in a national youth football tournament. They defeated a team from Chicago to win the championship. These young men ...
LOCAL Deals
www.mortgage-south.com
Click here to learn more about the worry-free mortgage!
www.firstvolunteer.com
Meet the bank with personality to help with your home, car or business dreams today!
Stay Connected with WDEF News 12
 
Inergize Digital This site is hosted and managed by Inergize Digital.