Miguel Cabrera and Brennan Boesch each had two-run doubles in the first inning and the Detroit Tigers beat the Minnesota Twins, 7-5, on Monday.
The defeat knocked the Twins out of first place for the first time since April 12, ending their run at 82 straight days, and gave the Tigers (41-34) a half-game division lead over Minnesota (41-35).
Austin Jackson scored three runs and stole a base and Gerald Laird homered for Detroit, which is 11-5 over its last 16 games.
Detroit jumped on Twins starter Francisco Liriano right away. The first six batters reached safely off Liriano (6-6), who was charged with a season-high six runs in six innings.
Jim Thome tripled and homered off Tigers starter Jeremy Bonderman, who allowed 12 baserunners in 5 1/3 innings. But Bonderman coaxed three double plays -- Jason Kubel banged into two of them -- to escape after allowing four runs.
Jose Valverde got the last two outs of the eighth and pitched the ninth for his 18th save this season.
Joe Mauer, Delmon Young and Jason Kubel each drove in a run for the Twins, who have lost six of their last seven in tumbling out of first place.
Detroit | Minnesota | |
Jeremy Bonderman | Player | Francisco Liriano |
Win | W/L | Loss |
5.1 | IP | 6.0 |
0 | Strikeouts | 6 |
9 | Hits | 9 |
6.75 | ERA | 9.00 |
Detroit | Minnesota | |
Ramon Santiago | Player | Jim Thome |
2 | Hits | 2 |
0 | RBI | 2 |
0 | HR | 1 |
2 | TB | 7 |
.667 | Avg | .667 |