Minneapolis, MN - Magglio Ordonez continued his hot hitting against Johan Santana, getting two hits, and driving in three runs off the Twins lefty, as the Tigers edged Minnesota, 3-2, at the Metrodome.
Ordonez entered the game hitting .400 against Santana, and he continued that torrid pace with a two-run double in the fourth and a homer in the sixth. Ordonez has five homers and 17 RBI in his career against Santana.
Andrew Miller (5-3) allowed four hits and a run over five innings to get the win for the AL Central-leading Tigers, who have captured three in a row and nine of 11 games. The Tigers are 16-4 in their last 20 road contests.
Michael Cuddyer went 4-for-4 for the Twins, who suffered a pair of injuries. Center fielder Torii Hunter, who celebrated his 32nd birthday on Wednesday, suffered a mild left hamstring strain. Catcher Mike Redmond was hit by a pitch on his left hand from Chad Durbin in the seventh inning.
Luis Castillo and Justin Morneau drove in runs for Minnesota, which faltered by going 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left 14 men on base.
Santana (11-7) was charged with five hits and three runs and he fanned seven over eight innings to have his five-start winning streak broken.
In the seventh inning, Redmond was hit in a pinch-hitting role to load the bases with one out. However, Jeff Cirillo fouled out and Lew Ford flied out, as the Tigers kept their 3-2 lead.
Cuddyer singled off Todd Jones to begin the ninth, but Detroit’s closer came back by retiring the next three hitters for his 25th save.
Ryan Raburn doubled and Placido Polanco singled to start the Detroit fourth. One out later, Ordonez doubled to the gap in left-center field.
Hunter beat out a potential double-play grounder in the fourth inning, but was then removed from the game. The injury isn’t considered serious, as his status is day-to-day.
Morneau was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in Minnesota’s first run in the fifth, but Jason Kubel then struck out to end the inning.
Ordonez homered to center with two down in the sixth before the Twins got within a run in the bottom half when Cirillo scored on Castillo’s groundout. However, the Twins left the potential tying run at third when Jason Bartlett flied out.
Game Notes
Detroit’s Marcus Thames left the game in the top of the ninth inning due to a left leg injury…The Tigers have beaten the Twins three straight times…Jeremy Bonderman (10-1) pitches for the Tigers on Thursday afternoon, while Scott Baker (4-3) goes for the Twins in the finale of the three-game series…Santana, who fell to 11-4 lifetime against the Tigers, threw a season-high 118 pitches, including 35 in the fourth inning.
