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DETROIT -- Tyler Duffey knew that he needed a clean fourth inning Wednesday night.Not only didnt he get one, he couldnt even get three outs.The Minnesota Twins had just scored five runs in the top of the fourth to take a 5-2 lead over the Detroit Tigers. If Duffey could shut them down in the bottom of the inning, the Twins would have regained the momentum that saw them beat Detroit 8-1 on Tuesday.Our guys scored enough runs in the top of the inning to win the game, Duffey said. I just wanted to protect that.Instead, Justin Upton walked and scored on Andrew Romines RBI single before Kinsler and Maybin hit back-to-back two-out triples to tie the game.I gave it right back, Duffey said. When you are facing that offense, when you miss, they dont. They got rolling, and I couldnt stop it.Twins manager Paul Molitor knew his team was in trouble after the walk to Upton. The Tigers left fielder only has a .296 on-base percentage this year, with 40 walks against 165 strikeouts.When you get a big inning and get a lead, you want your pitcher to go out there and shut them down, Molitor said. That walk was a bad sign, but he still had two outs and could have gotten off the field if he gets Kinsler or Maybin.By the end of the inning, the Tigers led 6-5, and although Minnesota tied the game in the fifth, Miguel Cabreras seventh-inning homer led Detroit to a crucial 9-6 win.The Tigers trail the Blue Jays by one game for the second AL wild card, with the Yankees and Mariners another game back.Cabrera said that, along with his offense, his role as a veteran is to keep the younger players from losing confidence by reading social media.We hear a lot of bad things about how were not going to make it, Cabrera said. Ive been here a lot of years and Ive been through this, but weve got a lot of new guys who think about it and read stuff. I tell them not to worry.This is fun. Weve got a chance to make the playoffs. Thats what you play for.Ian Kinsler had four hits, finishing a homer short of the cycle, and drove in three runs while scoring two.Brian Dozier and Kurt Suzuki homered for the Twins.Shane Greene (5-4) got the win, while Ryan Pressly (6-7) took the loss after surrendering Cabreras homer.Bruce Rondon pitched the eighth for Detroit, while Francisco Rodriguez put up a perfect ninth for his 42nd save.After Anibal Sanchez struck out the side in the first, Kinsler and Cameron Maybin gave the Tigers the lead with back-to-back doubles in the bottom of the inning. Kinslers RBI single in the second doubled the lead.Sanchez retired the first nine batters in order, but Dozier launched his first pitch of the fourth into the left-field stands for his 41st homer. The next three batters singled, with Kennys Vargas driving home Jorge Polanco to tie the game.Suzuki then made it 5-2 with a homer down the left-field line, but the Tigers came back in the bottom of the inning.After Kinsler and Maybins triples, J.T. Chargois replaced Duffey and allowed a tiebreaking single to Cabrera. Sanchez, though, couldnt hold the lead. He walked Byron Buxton to start the fifth and Dozier followed with a double to make it 6-6.Alex Wilson got out of the inning without further damage, and the two bullpens were able to settle the game down until Cabreras homer off Pressly with one out in the seventh.The Tigers added two more runs in the eighth on Kinslers second RBI single and a wild pitch.TRAINERS ROOMTwins: 3B Miguel Sano missed his second straight game with back stiffness. Hes expected back for Minnesotas weekend series against the Mets. . Suzuki left the game in the eighth injury with a lacerated chin after being hit in the mask by a foul tip. Molitor said hes day-to-day, but might see action at DH while the injury heals.Tigers: RHP Jordan Zimmermann threw an 80-pitch simulated game Wednesday afternoon in an attempt to fix his mechanics and get back into the rotation. Due to assorted injuries, Zimmermann has only started twice since June and didnt escape the second inning either time. ... 3B Nick Castellanos (broken hand) batted once against Zimmermann before taking himself out of the lineup. He hopes to be back before the end of the regular season.ODD DEFENSIVE LINEUPZimmermann, who mostly faced September call-ups in his simulated game, didnt get a lot of help from his defense. Instead of one of baseballs best double-play combinations in Ian Kinsler and Jose Iglesias, Zimmermann had his fellow pitchers backing him up. Rookie of the Year favorite Michael Fulmer made a nice running catch on a pop up into shallow right, but Mike Pelfrey, Mark Lowe and Justin Verlander werent impressive as infielders.OLYMPIC WEEK CONTINUESFor the third straight day, an Olympic medalist from Rio threw out the first pitch. On Wednesday, it was New Zealands Nick Willis, who won the bronze medal in the 1,500-meter run. Willis spent his college career at the University of Michigan, and still lives in Ann Arbor.UP NEXTThe teams conclude their four-game series with the Tigers Mike Pelfrey (4-9, 4.76) facing the Twins Hector Santiago (11-8, 4.75). Pelfrey hasnt pitched in a big-league game since July 30 due to a back injury, and is expected to be on a 60-pitch limit. . 8 Iowa State on Saturday, sending the Cyclones to their third consecutive loss. The Longhorns (14-4, 3-2) got their biggest win of the season with their third in the row in the Big 12. .com) - Manchester City midfielder David Silva is expected to miss the next four weeks because of a calf problem. . -- There were a lot of firsts for the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. . Colin Wilson had two goals and an assist, and Mike Fisher scored a goal and helped set up two others in the Predators 6-4 victory over the Red Wings on Monday night. . Peter Gammons, an analyst for Major League Baseballs network and website, drew the ire of hockey fans on Sunday when he criticized the two NHL teams on Twitter for their physical game the night before. RIO DE JANEIRO -- There will come a point in Thursday nights final of the 200-meter individual medley when Ryan Lochte will look to the lane next to him, see the greatest swimmer who has ever lived, and try to push himself into a gear he must wonder if he even has.Lochte and Michael Phelps are friends. Rivals. Theyve been talking about the joy that its been to race each other for the past 12 years so often that their comments are entirely predictable. Theyre both racers who bring out the best in each other. And on Thursday night they will do so, side by side, for likely the last time.Phelps, 31, has said that these Olympics will be his last. He has already won three gold medals in Rio and could win as many as six. Lochte, 32, hasnt decided what the future will hold but has found himself more in the background in Rio, with the 200 IM being his only individual event.They are the two most decorated swimmers in Olympic history, with Lochte (whose 12 Olympic medals are second all time to Phelps 25) being pushed to the backseat only because he happened to be born just a year before Phelps. Lochte is Patrick Ewing to Phelps Michael Jordan. At another time he would have far more championship hardware. As it is, hes respected and admired, but hes not in the same stratosphere as Phelps.?Well, sort of. The reality is Lochte has not beaten Phelps in this event in three straight Olympic GGames.dddddddddddd He also has lost to Phelps in three consecutive Olympic trials. And yet its Lochte who holds the world record in the event, set back at the world championships in 2011.Its going to take a perfect performance in order to beat him, Lochte said. Just because of how tough of a competitor he is. He wont give up, and thats awesome. Thats why he brings out the best of me. And hopefully I do the same for him.Phelps and Lochte finished 1-2 in Wednesday nights semifinals, with Phelps finishing a half-second faster than his rival. Phelps was third after 50 meters, but he and Lochte took control on the backstroke leg before Phelps pushed ahead on the breaststroke. Thiago Pereira, a popular Brazilian swimmer, finished third.You cant count out Thiago, Phelps said. This place is going to be loud tomorrow -- Im looking forward to it.But from an American perspective, all eyes will be on two of the greatest swimmers to ever wear the red, white and blue. In one final clash. On their sports grandest stage.I wouldnt say its all or nothing, Lochte said. Im just going to enjoy racing against him tomorrow, and whatever the outcome is the outcome. Theres nothing I can do.Which isnt true, of course. Especially if he can somehow find that one extra gear. ' ' '
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