GDT: 9/26/10 - DET (79-75) VS MIN (92-62) - 1:05 p.m. ET

Twins try to lean on pitching in home-field bid

By Spencer Fordin / MLB.com

The division is decided, and now the Twins are just trying to give themselves the easiest path through October. Minnesota clinched its second straight American League Central division championship earlier in the week, and after Sunday's series finale in Detroit, the Twins will have just three home games and three road games left in their regular season.

Minnesota has claimed six division championships in the last nine seasons, and unlike most years, the Twins may go into the playoffs with a head of steam and home-field advantage. Minnesota leads all AL teams in wins in September (16) and in the second half (46), and that blistering pace was enough to outlast the White Sox and Tigers.

East division foes New York and Tampa Bay are running step for step with the Twins, which means that the race for homefield advantage may go down to the final day of the year. Minnesota -- which is 52-25 at home and 40-37 on the road this season -- will close out the regular season with a road series in Kansas City and then a final home series against Toronto.

And if the Twins have a major strength going for them, it's the depth of their starting rotation. Minnesota has six pitchers with 10 victories for the first time in franchise history and for the first time in the Major Leagues since 2008. Brian Duensing, perhaps the most surprising member of that club, will start Sunday's series finale against Detroit.

The left-hander began the season in the bullpen, but he's made 11 starts for the Twins. Duensing, 10-2 with a 2.19 ERA, has produced nine quality starts in those 11 rotation turns, and Minnesota is 8-3 when he starts. The 27-year-old has completed at least six innings 10 times, and he's allowed more than one home run in just one of his 51 appearances.

The Tigers will counter with Rick Porcello, who has spent the second half framing his season in a more flattering light. The 21-year-old struggled to a 4-7 record and a 6.14 ERA in the first half and took a demotion to Triple-A Toledo at one point, but he's rebounded to 5-4 with a 4.38 ERA since the intermission. Porcello has won seven of his last nine decisions.

Both Minnesota (46-22) and Detroit have (37-31) have enjoyed sustained success against AL Central opponents, but the Tigers have been tripped up by their struggles away from Comerica Park. Detroit (51-29) is one of just three AL teams to crack the 50-win barrier at home, but the Tigers have turned around for the third-fewest road wins (28) in the league.

Tigers: Jackson in elite rookie club
Austin Jackson joined some rarefied company on Saturday, when he became just the ninth rookie since 1901 to register at least 100 runs, 170 hits, 30 doubles, 10 triples and 20 stolen bases. Only three other players -- former All-Star Juan Samuel (1984) and Rookies of the Year Nomar Garciaparra (1997) and Hanley Ramirez (2006) -- have done it since 1960.

Jackson, who joined the Tigers in an offseason trade for Curtis Granderson, has scored a run in 24 of his last 33 games. He's notched 174 hits, the most for a first-year Tiger since Rookie of the Year Harvey Kuenn (209) in 1953. Jackson leads first-year players in hits, runs (101) and stolen bases (26), padding his own case for a year-end award.

Twins: Valencia slams it into gear
Third baseman Danny Valencia went for a grand slam and his first multi-homer game on Saturday, continuing a second-half emergence that has given the Twins another threat in the middle of their lineup. Valencia, a former 19th-round Draft pick, batted .310 (18-for-58) in limited playing time before the All-Star break and has kicked up to .332 (70-for-211) in the second half.

Valencia has also hit all seven of his home runs after the All-Star break, and he has 37 RBIs in his last 57 games. But part of his success has come with a wickedly huge platoon split in favor of Target Field. Valencia is hitting an incredible .424 (50-for-118) with a .452 on-base percentage at home, and prior to Sunday's breakout, he was hitting just .250 on the road.

Worth noting
The last big league team to have six pitchers with 10 victories was the Angels in 2008.

... Brandon Inge, who drove in the game-winning run in the 13th inning for the Tigers on Saturday, struck out three times, passing Lou Whitaker for the all-time Detroit strikeout mark.



Pitching matchup

TIGERS: RHP Rick Porcello (9-11, 5.22 ERA)
The man who pitched the Tigers' home opener nearly six months ago gets to close out the home schedule, but Porcello has had a season of adjustments in between his bookend starts. After all the struggles, he still has a chance at a .500 season.

TWINS: LHP Brian Duensing (10-2, 2.19 ERA)
Duensing will be the starter for Game 3 of the Twins' opening playoff series. But he'll need to get through his start on Sunday first. His last outing was a rough one. The lefty matched his career high with four walks, yet only gave up three runs.




INJURY UPDATE:
• RHP Zach Miner (Partial tear in right elbow, 60-day DL on March 26, Had successful Tommy John surgery May 28, Out for Season),
• LHP Bobby Seay (Torn rotator cuff, 60-day DL on March 26, surgery on September 15, Out for Season),
• OF Magglio Ordonez (right ankle fracture, 15-day DL on July 25, Had surgery surgery Aug. 25, Out for Season),
• INF Danny Worth (bruised left heel, 15-day DL on August 4, Out for Season),
• RHP Joel Zumaya (non-displaced fracture of the olecranon, 60-day DL on June 29, Underwent elbow surgery July 12, Out for Season).
• Carlos Guillen (Bruised left knee, 15-day DL on August 23, Out for Season)


Out for Season



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Up next (Probable Pitchers)


• Monday, September 27,
TIGERS (RHP Armando Galarraga (4-7, 4.44 ERA)) AT INDIANS (RHP Carlos Carrasco (1-1, 3.03 ERA)), 7:05 p.m. ET (FS-D HD / AM 1270 & 97.1 FM)

• Tuesday, September 28,
TIGERS (RHP Max Scherzer (12-10, 3.40 ERA)) AT INDIANS (RHP Mitch Talbot (9-13, 4.61 ERA)), 7:05 p.m. ET (FS-D HD / AM 1270 & 97.1 FM)

• Wednesday, September 29,
TIGERS (RHP Justin Verlander (18-8, 3.31 ERA)) AT INDIANS (RHP Josh Tomlin (5-4, 4.50 ERA)), 7:05 p.m. ET (FS-D HD / AM 1270 & 97.1 FM)

STARTING LINEUPS:

Sunday: Tigers home finale vs. Twins

After a couple days of blustery weather, looks like it has calmed down a little bit for the last game at Comerica Park between today and next April. Still cool, fall weather, just not nearly as gusty.

Casper Wells gets a start in the second spot of a righty-loaded lineup against Twins lefty Brian Duensing. Jhonny Peralta starts at DH, allowing Ramon Santiago to get a second consecutive start. Gerald Laird is behind the plate for Rick Porcello.

The Twins, meanwhile, are missing J.J. Hardy and Jason Repko on top of the guys they were already dealing without.

TIGERS

1. Jackson, CF
2. Wells, RF
3. Raburn, LF
4. Cabrera, 1B
5. Peralta, DH
6. Inge, 3B
7. Sizemore, 2B
8. Santiago, SS
9. Laird, C

P: Rick Porcello

TWINS

1. Ben Revere, CF
2. Orlando Hudson, DH
3. Delmon Young, LF
4. Michael Cuddyer, 1B
5. Jason Kubel, RF
6. Danny Valencia, 3B
7. Jose Morales, C
8. Matt Tolbert, 2B
9. Nick Punto, SS

P: Brian Duensing