Twins get mojo back in Motown

Paul Sancya, Associated Press

Minnesota Twins' Joe Mauer (7) is congratulated by Justin Morneau (33) after hitting a two-run home run against the Detroit Tigers in the seventh inning of a baseball game Saturday, July 12, 2008, in Detroit.

Gardenhire: Whew! I can't take any more of these.

By LA VELLE E. NEAL III, Star Tribune

Last update: July 13, 2008 - 10:48 AM

DETROIT - Three days in Motown. Three sellout crowds. Three edge-of-your-seat one-run victories.

Now the Twins are a game away from a winning road trip none could have predicted after getting swept in Boston.

"Whew! I can't take any more of these," manager Ron Gardenhire said Saturday. "I need a four-day break."

The Twins held off Detroit 6-5 on Saturday, positioning themselves for a four-game sweep and a 4-3 road trip. Joe Nathan earned his 27th save -- and is 26-for-26 in save situations in Comerica Park -- as the Twins sent Tigers fans home wondering how their team blew a chance to get back in the AL Central race.

"To even be in a position to have a winning road trip right now means a lot," Nathan said in a sweltering clubhouse.

The Twins might have left Boston on Wednesday wondering how they could recover from three losses, two of those nailbiters and one a laugher. Their bullpen was treated like a playpen, they weren't getting clutch hits and they were falling back in the division.

Three games later, the Twins couldn't look more like a threat to the division-leading White Sox than they do now. They have shoved Detroit 6 1/2 games behind them in the division and will hit the All-Star break with their mojo back.

"We've gained some ground on guys and we have created some separation from Detroit," Nathan said.

Brendan Harris drove in four runs Saturday, with RBI singles in the second and fourth innings, a homer in the seventh and a sacrifice fly in the eighth. Joe Mauer hit a two-run homer in the seventh. Five of the runs came off Detroit starter Nate Robertson (6-8).

The Twins, who remained 1 1/2 games behind Chicago, led 6-2 heading into the eighth, and Gardenhire sent Scott Baker back to the mound having thrown 94 pitches. No one in their dugout was comfortable.

"You know they are going to make runs," Gardenhire said of the Tigers. "That's what they do."

A single by Ramon Santiago and two-run homer by Curtis Granderson later, Baker (6-2) was in the dugout to buckle himself in as Jesse Crain replaced him.

Crain gave up an infield hit and a walk before striking out Miguel Cabrera, but lefthander Dennys Reyes entered and threw a wild pitch that advanced the runners to second and third. The announced crowd of 41,301 roared as Baker, still lamenting the gopher ball to Granderson, buried his head in a towel on the dugout rail.

Pinch hitter Ryan Raburn got a run home with an RBI grounder, making it 6-5. But Brian Bass relieved Reyes and retired Marcus Thames on a groundout, ending the inning.

Nathan issued a one-out walk to Brandon Inge in the ninth but silenced the crowd with three strikeouts and set up a possible four-game sweep.

"You always want to reward starting pitching for an outstanding job," Nathan said. "For us to be able to put a halt to their little charge at the end and solidify the win and make sure Bake gets away with a win is nice."

What would it mean for the Twins to hit the break with four consecutive victories?

"That's a comeback," Gardenhire said.