DETROIT _ Eddie Rosario doesn't need much motivation when he's playing baseball, doesn't require a reason to smack down the opposition. Yet the Tigers intentionally walked Nelson Cruz anyway.
For the third time just in the past week, Rosario responded to Cruz's free pass on Tuesday in one of the best possible ways: With an RBI double. Rosario doubled home Willians Astudillo and Jason Castro, providing the margin of victory in the Twins' 4-2 victory over the Tigers and moving them to the brink of a postseason berth.
Minnesota's magic number is two, meaning the Twins could clinch their first AL Central championship since 2010 on Wednesday.
The Tigers absorbed loss No. 110, second-most in their 119-year history, but put up a better fight than the Twins may have anticipated. Spencer Turnbull limited Minnesota's offense to six hits, none of them home runs, and didn't allow a run to cross the plate for six innings.
But Detroit didn't back him with much of a lead _ Jake Odorizzi allowed only one run in six solid innings before departing with a hamstring strain. So when Turnbull tired in the seventh, the Twins were ready to pounce.
Jake Cave led off with a single, and LaMonte Wade doubled him to third, putting a sudden end to Turnbull's night. That brought up Astudillo to face reliever David McKay. Astudillo, 0-for-8 since Sept. 5 with runners in scoring position, snapped that skid with a hard ground all up the middle, a single that turned a one-run deficit into a one-run lead.
After McKay hit Jason Castro with a pitch, Luis Arraez grounded out and Jorge Polanco lined up, and it appeared the rally might end there. But Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire chose to intentionally walk Cruz _ and Rosario responded. He took a ball away from Noe Ramirez, then reached out and punched a cutter away into the left-field corner. Two runs scored, and the Twins had all the breathing rom they would need.
Odorizzi was brilliant, allowing only two hits over six innings, but both came in the first inning: A Dawel Lugo double, and a bunt single by Harold Castro, setting up Jeimer Candelario for the RBI with a sacrifice fly.
