MINNEAPOLIS — Michael Cuddyer’s two-run homer off Rick Porcello (13-9) was all Brian Duensing needed to beat Detroit and move Minnesota within three games of the AL Central lead, energizing the Twins in a 3-0 victory over the Tigers on Friday night.
This is the closest the Twins (75-72) have been to first place since Aug. 2. They’re 6-1 at home this year against Detroit.
Duensing gave up two infield singles among just four hits and only one walk over 6 1-3 innings, before yielding to the bullpen to finish Minnesota’s fifth straight victory. Joe Nathan posted his 42nd save, allowing a walk and a double with two outs before finishing a scoreless ninth.
As the Tigers (78-69) have stumbled since Labor Day, failing to get their bats going and take advantage of the assorted problems bothering the Twins and Chicago White Sox, the AL Central has quietly emerged as the one division in baseball this season with an actual pennant chase. Even the wild-card spots in both leagues have been heading toward anticlimactic finishes.
In seven starts, Duensing (4-1) has a 1.70 ERA.
Red Sox 3, Orioles 1
BALTIMORE — Clay Buchholz pitched six innings of five-hit ball, and Boston extended its winning streak against Baltimore to six games.
Jason Bay hit his team-high 34th home run for the Red Sox, who have won eight of nine and 14 of 19 to take command in the AL wild-card race. Victor Martinez had a single and a double to stretch his hitting streak to 17 games, tying a career high.
Buchholz (6-3) gave up one run, walked three and struck out one. The right-hander is 5-0 with a 2.80 ERA in seven starts since Aug. 13.
Jeremy Guthrie (10-15) yielded three runs and nine hits in 5 2-3 innings. He’s 0-3 in four starts against Boston this season, and Baltimore has lost all four games.
Angels 2, Rangers 0
ARLINGTON, Texas — Scott Kazmir pitched six scoreless innings to get his first victory for the AL West-leading Los Angeles Angels and Vladimir Guerrero homered to drop the Texas Rangers to a season-high 7½ games back in the division.
Kazmir (9-8) lowered his ERA to 1.42 in four starts since being acquired Aug. 28 from Tampa Bay, but had gotten little run support (four runs) while going 0-1 his first three starts. The left-hander didn’t need much help against the scoring-challenged Rangers.
Texas was shut out for the fourth time in a five-game losing streak — the first time in team history. The Rangers have scored only once in 46 innings.
Tommy Hunter (8-4) struck out five and walked four in his five innings.
Athletics 2, Indians 1
OAKLAND, Calif. — Brett Anderson pitched six shutout innings and had a career-high 10 strikeouts to help Oakland win its fifth straight and 10th in the last 12.
Jeff Gray and Craig Breslow pitched one scoreless inning apiece and Brad Ziegler worked the ninth to complete the six-hitter and record his seventh save in 10 chances.
Michael Brantley and Kelly Shoppach had two hits apiece for Cleveland, which fell to 0-5 on its current seven-game road trip and has lost 15 of its last 18 overall.
Nomar Garciaparra hit an RBI double off David Huff (10-8) in the third before Mark Ellis singled to make it 2-0.
Matt LaPorta’s two-out double in the ninth off Ziegler drove in Shin-Soo Choo but Kelly Shoppach struck out looking to end the game in 2 hours, 25 minutes.
Rays 11, Blue Jays 4
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — James Shields won at home for the first time in more than three months, and eight straight Tampa Bay batters reached base to start a six-run third inning.
Shields (10-11) had been 0-5 in his previous 10 starts at Tropicana Field since beating Kansas City 3-2 on June 4. He gave up four runs and nine hits in six innings.
Carl Crawford had an RBI triple and Gregg Zaun hit a run-scoring double in the third to help the Rays take a 6-2 lead.
Evan Longoria hit his 31st homer of the season and had three RBIs for the AL champs, who won for just the third time in 16 games.
Scott Richmond (6-10) was pulled after allowing five consecutive hits to start the third.
Royals 11, White Sox 0
CHICAGO — Luke Hochevar pitched a three-hitter for his first career shutout and Miguel Olivo hit a pair of two-run shots and drove in a career-high six runs.
Hochevar (7-10) allowed just three singles and struck out five with one walk. The right-hander won his first start since July 25 and won his first game in his last eight decisions. He struck out Ramon Castro in the third inning to start a string of eight consecutive outs.
Alberto Callaspo had a two-run triple in the seventh inning and Billy Butler added a two-run double in the eighth inning for Kansas City, who have won nine of its last 11 games. John Buck also had a solo home run in the ninth.
The White Sox have lost four of their last five.
Mark Buehrle (12-9) allowed five runs on seven hits in six-plus innings.
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