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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Midre Cummings was as much a fan Sunday as he
was the hero.
Cummings hit a game-winning RBI single in the 10th inning and
Ron Coomer had three RBI as the Minnesota Twins beat the Detroit
Tigers 7-6 in a seesaw game at the Metrodome filled with great
plays and clutch hits.
"It was fun to watch and even more exciting to play in,"
Cummings said. "It was just a well-played ballgame."
Todd Jones (0-3), after blowing a one-run lead in the ninth,
issued a pair of one-out walks in the 10th. Matt Lawton hit an
infield single to load the bases before Denny Hocking struck out.
Cummings then lined a 2-2 pitch to left to give Minnesota its
30th come-from-behind victory and third win in four games.
"You're just trying to get a base hit there, which makes it
that much easier," Cummings said.
"Midre's such a professional hitter," Lawton said. "He knows
what to do there."
Lawton, batting leadoff for the first time this year, went
3-for-6 with a homer for Minnesota.
"I like it," Lawton said. "I get a lot of at-bats."
Damion Easley hit a two-run homer and Bobby Higginson's sneaky
slide highlighted a series of comebacks for Detroit, which lost for
just the 10th time in 28 games. The Tigers were trying to move
above .500 for the first time since Opening Day.
"It was a good game to watch if you're a fan," Tigers manager
Phil Garner said.
"We let them off the hook today," Higginson said. "We had
plenty of opportunities to win the game, but we didn't get it
done."
Hector Carrasco (4-3) struck out two in a perfect 10th inning
for the win.
Trailing 6-5, Minnesota scored a run in the ninth off Jones to
tie the game. Cummings singled with one out and moved to third on Coomer's single. David Ortiz then hit a slow groundout to
third, allowing Cummings to score.
Dean Palmer had tied the game in the eighth with an RBI double
and Deivi Cruz put Detroit ahead 6-5 with a sacrifice fly.
The Tigers took a 4-3 lead in the sixth on Higginson's unique
slide at the plate. Higginson hit a one-out single, advanced to second on a wild pitch and to third on a groundout. Matt Kinney then threw a pitch that got away from catcher Danny Ardoin for a passed ball.
Ardoin got to the ball quickly and threw to Kinney covering the
plate, well ahead of Higginson. But Higginson -- in mid-slide --
stopped his right foot short of Kinney's tag, popped up and sneaked
his left foot onto the plate.
"It's not something that I've practiced before," Higginson
said. "It's just something where your instincts take over."
Kinney thought he was out.
"When he came in I got him on the right leg before he decided
to jump over," Kinney said. "But, it doesn't matter now."
Minnesota came back to take a 5-4 lead in seventh on Coomer's
two-run double off Nelson Cruz -- a line drive that right-fielder
Rich Becker misplayed.
Lawton doubled in the first, moved to third on Denny Hocking's
sacrifice bunt and scored on Adam Bernero's wild pitch.
Detroit came right back in the second on Easley's two-run homer,
his 12th.
Coomer hit a sacrifice fly in the third to tie the game at 2-2.
The Tigers took a 3-2 lead in the fifth when Jose Macias tripled
and scored on Javier Cardona's sacrifice fly. Center-fielder Torii
Hunter made a running, diving catch on Cardona's line drive.
"I'm turning into one of Torii's biggest fans out there," Lawton
said.
Lawton hit his 10th homer on the first pitch from Bernero in the
bottom of the inning to tie the game again. It increased his
career-high RBI total to 79.
Game notes
Minnesota evened its record against Detroit at the
Metrodome at 56-56. ... Both starting pitchers, Kinney and Bernero,
were looking for their first career wins. ... Lawton batted third
in 121 of the 122 previous games he started. He batted sixth once.
... It was Jones' third blown save this season in 39 chances. ...
Juan Gonzalez went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts, ending his
21-game road hitting streak. ... Detroit pitchers issued 10 walks. Nelson Cruz walked four in 2 1/3 innings, after walking just six in
33 previous innings this year.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Detroit Clubhouse
Minnesota Clubhouse
RECAPS
Baltimore 3
Tampa Bay 2
Kansas City 11
Boston 7
Minnesota 7
Detroit 6
NY Yankees 7
Oakland 5
Chi. White Sox 2
Seattle 1
Anaheim 10
Cleveland 9
Toronto 6
Texas 4
St. Louis 7
Atlanta 2
NY Mets 2
Arizona 1
Houston 7
Montreal 3
Philadelphia 2
San Francisco 1
Colorado 9
Pittsburgh 2
San Diego 2
Milwaukee 1
Los Angeles 7
Chicago Cubs 6
Florida 7
Cincinnati 6
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