More shaky pitching leads to 6th straight loss

MINNEAPOLIS — Miguel Cabrera set the tone with a solo homer in the first inning, and the Tigers capitalized with a five-run third, capped by a three-run blast from Justin Upton, in a 9-4 win over the Twins on Wednesday at Target Field.

It gave Detroit a second straight win over Minnesota, and the Tigers remain three games back of the Orioles for the second American League Wild Card spot.

Cabrera went 4-for-5 with two doubles, two runs and two RBIs to pace the offense, and he helped spark the five-run rally with an RBI double off the right-field wall in the third. J.D. Martinez also singled home a run before Upton crushed a three-run shot off Twins starter Tyler Duffey. The Tigers blew it open with a three-run eighth, keyed by a two-run single from Andrew Romine with two outs.

The early support was enough for Tigers lefty Matt Boyd, who went six innings, allowing three runs on five hits. Trevor Plouffe got the Twins on the board with an RBI single in the first, while Boyd gave up solo homers to Robbie Grossman in the third and Brian Dozier in the fifth. Boyd outlasted Duffey, who went three innings, surrendering six runs on seven hits. It handed the Twins their sixth straight loss.

MOMENTS THAT MATTEREDGimme five: The Tigers have scored runs in bunches this series, and that trend continued with a five-run third inning that pushed Detroit to an early 6-1 lead. After Cameron Maybin singled with one out, the Twins couldn’t turn the inning-ending double play on Erick Aybar’s sharp grounder after …

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