Detroit 2, Twins 0

Twins lefthander Johan Santana sparkled as the rest of the rotation was being shuffled, but a two-run homer in the eighth won it for the Tigers.

By Joe Christensen, Star Tribune

Last update: May 17, 2006 - 11:48 PM

DETROIT - The Twins won't survive long as a one-man band, and Johan Santana knows it.

All around him, the starting pitching staff has been torn asunder. First they moved Carlos Silva to the bullpen, and Wednesday they shipped Kyle Lohse to Class AAA Rochester.

Then, when they finally got another superlative pitching performance by Santana, they squandered it.

Detroit Tigers rookie Justin Verlander and Santana locked horns in a classic pitchers' duel Wednesday night, but Vance Wilson hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning to give Detroit a 2-0 victory at Comerica Park.

After Santana's first loss since April 21, he spoke in long, measured tones, with each answer to the reporters' questions seemingly directed at his teammates.

"I felt pretty good; I was doing my job," Santana said. "But that lets you know right there; it's not just about one guy. It takes 25 guys to win a ballgame; and unfortunately, tonight that wasn't the case."

Verlander (5-3) held the Twins to six hits over eight innings, and Tigers closer Todd Jones allowed two runners to reach base in the ninth before Tony Batista hit a lazy popup to end the game.

The Twins suffered their fourth consecutive loss and fell 9 1/2 games behind the two American League Central co-leaders -- Detroit and the Chicago White Sox.

"You know you're facing a team at the top of your division," Santana said. "And you want to play good against these guys and show them that you can challenge them. And unfortunately we couldn't stay with it and score some runs and win this game."

The Twins might have wasted their best chance in the eighth inning, when No. 9 hitter Nick Punto hit a leadoff single to left but was quickly picked off first base by Verlander.

"It's a cardinal sin, getting picked off," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "I think Nick knows that."

Said Punto: "It's tough to watch Santana's performance go to waste. Because I know if I could have scored -- not to take anything away from Vance Wilson, but Santana doesn't lose 1-0 games."

Santana gave up four hits, finishing with an eight-inning complete game.

Wilson hadn't hit a home run all season, but the first-pitch fastball that he hit over the left field wall wasn't the pitch Santana was dwelling on afterward.

Earlier, with one out, Santana had run the count full against Chris Shelton before missing with a fastball, just off the inside corner. Santana said home plate umpire Mike Reilly called a pitch in that exact same location for a strike against the next batter, Brandon Inge.

That Inge at-bat ended with Santana's 12th strikeout. Shelton drew a walk and was on base when Wilson hit the two-out home run.

"I don't judge what umpires do," Santana said. "But I thought it was a pretty good pitch."

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