Detroit 3, Minnesota 0
When: 1:08 PM ET, Sunday, September 28, 2014
Where: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan
Temperature:
72°
Umpires:
Home -
Ed Hickox, 1B -
Ron Kulpa, 2B -
Lance Barrett, 3B -
Joe West
Attendance:
40501
By SportsDirect Inc.
Tigers 3, Twins 0: David Price struck out eight in 7 1/3 innings and Ian Kinsler drove in two runs to power host Detroit to its fourth consecutive American League Central title.
Kinsler delivered a solo home run and an RBI single while Torii Hunter added a sacrifice fly as the Tigers held off Kansas City to earn the right to face the Orioles in an AL Division Series beginning Thursday in Baltimore. Price (15-12) improved to 4-4 in 11 starts since being acquired from Tampa Bay after yielding four hits before Joba Chamberlain recorded the final two outs in the eighth and Joe Nathan pitched a perfect ninth to earn his 35th save and touch off a celebration.
Kyle Gibson (13-12) allowed three runs and four hits in 7 1/3 innings for Minnesota (70-92), which wrapped up its fourth straight losing season by finishing 35-46 at home and on the road. Minnesota outscored Detroit 23-7 in the middle two contests of the series to prevent the Tigers from winning the division sooner.
Kinsler belted an 0-1 breaking ball out to left with two out in the third for his 17th homer and 100th run scored of the season. Minnesota threatened by putting two on with one out in the fourth before Price escaped further trouble by striking out Oswaldo Arcia and retiring Eduardo Escobar on a fielder's choice grounder.
Price, who won the major-league strikeout title when he fanned Arcia to end the sixth, left to a standing ovation after retiring Danny Santana to begin the eighth. After Gibson walked a pair with one out in the bottom half, Kinsler chased the right-hander with a run-scoring single through the hole and into left to score Andrew Romine while Hunter provided some breathing room by lifting a fly ball to right to plate Ezequiel Carrera.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Tigers OF Rajai Davis did not play after leaving Saturday's game with a pelvic cartilage strain, but said he'll be ready for the postseason. ... Price finished with 271 strikeouts, two more than Cleveland's Corey Kluber. ... Detroit DH Victor Martinez went 0-for-3 and finish second in the majors in batting average to Houston's Jose Altuve .341 to .335.
Top Game Performances
Starting Pitchers
| Minnesota |
|
Detroit |
|
Kyle Gibson
|
Player |
David Price
|
|
Loss |
W/L |
Win |
|
7.1 |
IP |
7.1 |
|
6 |
Strikeouts |
8 |
|
4 |
Hits |
4 |
|
3.68 |
ERA |
0.00 |
Team Stats Summary
| Team |
Hits |
HR |
TB |
Avg |
LOB |
K |
RBI |
BB |
SB |
Errors |
| Minnesota
|
4 |
0 |
5 |
.129 |
9 |
8 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
| Detroit
|
4 |
1 |
7 |
.154 |
4 |
6 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
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