Twins lose to division-leading Tigers, 7-3

Magglio Ordonez drove in three of Detroit's seven runs over two innings and the Tigers went on to beat the Minnesota Twins 7-3 Friday night.

AL Central-leading Detroit won its fourth straight and for the 16th time in 18 home games.

The Twins have lost three straight and six of eight. Minnesota has slipped to third place and trails the Tigers by three games after having a 1½-game lead on them at the start of the month.

Justin Verlander (11-5) gave up two runs over 5 1-3 innings. Robbie Weinhardt inherited the bases loaded in the sixth and got Delmon Young to hit into an inning-ending double play.

Francisco Liriano (6-7) gave up seven runs - matching a career high - and six hits in just 1 2/3 innings to equal his second-shortest start.

The Twins were without one of their best players, All-Star first baseman Justin Morneau, who missed his second straight game because of a concussion.

Detroit did all of its damage early.

In the first inning, Ordonez hit an RBI single and rookie Brennan Boesch's single made it 2-0. Ordonez had a two-run single the next inning, Miguel Cabrera followed with a sacrifice fly and Carlos Guillen's two-run triple gave Verlander and the Tigers a seven-run cushion.

Jason Kubel had run-scoring singles in the fourth and sixth innings to pull the Twins within five runs.

Verlander won his third straight start and for the sixth time in seven outings since losing consecutive games in late May.

Denard Span hit a leadoff single off him, then got picked off at first base. Verlander then struck out Orlando Hudson and Joe Mauer to end the first inning.

The hard-throwing righty fanned four more Twins before Kubel hit an RBI single in the fourth - making it 7-1 - then stranded two runners by striking out Michael Cuddyer to end the inning.

The Twins scored another in the sixth - and would have had a second run if Verlander didn't make another wicked pickoff move for the first out - and loaded the bases to chase Verlander.

Weinhardt, pitching for the second time in the majors, got Young to hit a grounder to Guillen at second to set up a double play and keep a five-run lead.

Detroit's Ryan Perry gave up a double to Cuddyer and a single to Young in the ninth inning without getting an out, compelling manager Jim Leyland to replace him with All-Star closer Jose Valverde with runners at the corners.

J.J. Hardy - the first to face Valverde - hit an RBI single to pull Minnesota within four runs.

Left fielder Don Kelly made a great play for the first out of the inning, sprinting to foul territory to make a sliding catch in the dirt. Valverde then struck out Span and got Hudson to ground out.

It would have been more dramatic if the Tigers didn't build such a big lead against Minnesota's struggling starter.

Liriano had another rough outing, walking the leadoff hitter in the first two innings and plunking two batters in one of the worst starts of his career.

The seven runs he gave up matched the most he allowed, equaling a total he reached three times last year. The only shorter start he has had was on April 24, 2008, when he gave up six runs to Oakland and got just two outs before being pulled.

Liriano was the AL pitcher of the month in April and started 4-0 and looked like he had bounced back from elbow surgery that stunted his career after he was 12-3 with a 2.16 ERA in 2006. He has regressed lately, going 0-4 in his last five starts.

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