Cooler but still well above normal this week

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Miguel Cabrera set off an "MVP!" chant with his
career-high 38th homer, helping the Detroit Tigers beat the
Minnesota Twins 5-1 Sunday in their final home game of the season.


      Cabrera's two-run liner to left gave the Tigers a four-run lead
in the seventh inning. Ramon Santiago hit a three-run shot in the
fourth.


      The Tigers set a Comerica Park record with 52 wins at home this
year. They are 19 games below .500 on the road.


      Rick Porcello (10-11) gave up a solo homer to Delmon Young and
just three other hits over eight innings.


      Brian Duensing (10-3) allowed five runs, seven hits and four
walks over 6 2-3 innings for the AL Central champions.


      The banged-up Twins played without Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer,
Denard Span, J.J. Hardy and Jason Repko.


      Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire was back in the dugout after
missing Saturday night's game because he was hit in the ear by a
ball thrown by Alexi Casilla during batting practice.


      Gardenhire said he plans to use Mauer, who has a sore left knee,
as a designated hitter Monday at home against Kansas City and could
let him catch during the last weekend of the regular season.


      Morneau might not make it back to help the Twins in the
playoffs, but Span (foot), Hardy (knee) and Repko (thumb) are
expected to be healthy enough to play later this week.


      Young hit a no-doubt, 386-foot shot to left field to put
Minnesota ahead 1-0 in the fourth.


      The lead didn't last long because Santiago's third homer put
Detroit up 3-1 in the home half.


      Cabrera broke the game open with a 358-foot homer to left that
might not have been more than 15 feet above the ground at any time,
leading to perhaps the loudest "MVP" chants of the season at
Comerica Park.


      NOTES: Tigers RHP Jeremy Bonderman and C Gerald Laird said
before the game they don't expect to be back with the team next
season. ... Minnesota, trying to finish with the AL's best record,
closes the regular season at home with three games against the
Royals and four against Toronto. ... The game drew 32,021 - despite
nothing being at stake and with the Lions playing at Minnesota - to
raise the season total to 2,461,237. ... Detroit's previous record
for wins at Comerica Park, which opened in 2000, was set last year
with a 51-30 record.

Gallery

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Delmon Young's home run in the fourth inning was all the offense the Twins could muster. The banged-up team played without Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer,
Denard Span, J.J. Hardy and Jason Repko.

Tigers beat Twins 5-1

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