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Tigers aim for .500 mark in Minnesota

Fri 2nd, May 2008

(Sports Network) - After a slow start, the Detroit Tigers can get to .500 for the first time this season with a victory tonight in the opener of a three- game series with the Minnesota Twins at the Metrodome.

Detroit, picked by many to walk away with the American League crown after acquiring Edgar Renteria, Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis in the offseason, lost its first seven games of the season to dig itself an early hole. However, the club is starting to catch fire, having won eight of its last 10 while completing its first sweep in the Bronx in 42 years.

Cabrera homered, tripled and drove in three runs as the Tigers topped the New York Yankees, 8-4, on Thursday. Magglio Ordonez went 3-for-5 with two runs batted in and two runs scored, while Ramon Santiago doubled, tripled and drove in a pair of runs.

Cabrera extended his hitting streak to nine games, lifting his season average to .279. He has three homers and nine RBI during the run.

Nate Robertson (1-3) earned his first win of the season after allowing four runs on seven hits over 5 2/3 innings. Three Tigers relievers held New York off the board over the final 3 1/3 frames.

With Willis set to make a rehab start tonight for Triple-A Toledo, the Tigers may face a difficult decision with regards to Armando Galarraga. Willis went down with a hyperextended right knee on April 11, prompting Detroit to recall Galarraga from Toledo four days later.

The right-hander won his first two starts over Cleveland and Detroit before getting a no-decision versus the Angels at home on Saturday. Galarraga no-hit Anaheim through 5 2/3 innings and went on to allow three runs (1 earned) on three hits over six innings of his team's eventual 6-4 victory. He has a 1.50 earned run average through his first three starts.

The 26-year-old faced the Twins once last year while with the Rangers, giving up a run in three innings of relief on September 19.

The Twins will try to get Livan Hernandez back on track tonight. The right- hander won his first three starts of the season, but has gone 0-1 in three starts since while allowing 16 runs (14 earned) in 14 2/3 innings. He got the loss in Texas on Sunday, yielding a season-high seven runs and nine hits over 2 2/3 frames, his shortest outing of the season.

Hernandez, who now has a 5.05 ERA on the season, is pitching his first season in the American League and has never faced Detroit.

Cabrera, who began his career with the Florida Marlins, is hitting .260 (13- for-50) off Hernandez with four doubles, a homer and 10 RBI.

Minnesota has won three of its last four games, and completed a brief two-game sweep of the Chicago White Sox with a 4-3 win on Wednesday. Justin Morneau's run-scoring double proved to be the difference in the win.

Carlos Gomez was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI double for the Twins, while Brendan Harris and Michael Cuddyer each drove in a run for Minnesota.

Nick Blackburn (2-1) surrendered three runs on eight hits in seven innings to earn the win. Dennys Reyes, Pat Neshek and Joe Nathan combined to close things out from there. Nathan earned his ninth save with a scoreless ninth.

The Twins will activate Adam Everett from the 15-day disabled list before today's game, and the shortstop could be back in the starting lineup tonight. Everett hasn't played since April 14 due to a right shoulder strain, and is hitting .185 in nine games this year with a double and two RBI.

Detroit swept a two-game series at home versus Minnesota in mid-April and has won four straight and 11 of its last 12 versus the Twins. The Tigers lead the series 25-14 since the start of the 2006 season.

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