The Twins five-game losing streak has been historically bad.
In tonight's game notes, there's this little ditty from the Elias Sports Bureau: The five losses have been by these scores (3-0, 4-1, 8-1, 6-1 and 6-1). To find the last time in franchise history this team has suffered five consecutive home losses while scoring one or fewer runs, go back to September 1909, when the Washington Senators put their fans through that type of snooze fest.
They'll try to find some offense tonight against Rick Porcello. On Saturday, Justin Verlander will be trying for win No. 20.
Update: Joe Mauer is not in the lineup again (stiff neck), and Tsuyoshi Nishioka (strained oblique) has been scratched. Nishioka said the injury is only about 80-90 percent.
Mauer said he swung a bat today, hopes to return to the lineup soon and knows he'd need to play tonight if something happened to Drew Butera.
Francisco Liriano's MRI exam showed inflammation in the back of his left shoulder but nothing more serious, the Twins said.
TIGERS (71-59)
1. Austin Jackson, CF
2. Magglio Ordonez, RF
3. Delmon Young, LF
4. Miguel Cabrera, 1B
5. Victor Martinez, DH
6. Alex Avila, C
7. Jhonny Peralta, SS
8. Ryan Raburn, 2B
9. Brandon Inge, 3B
