The Tigers' bats were dead, and they needed a little magic if they were going to escape Minnesota with a series win. Prince Fielder provided it.
An eighth-inning opposite-field home run for the Price accounted for Detroit's only two runs, and the Tigers edged Twins, 2-1, Sunday at Target Field. Chicago lost, 6-2, to the Rays. Detroit's magic number dropped to 1, giving them at least a share of the Central Division.
It was Fielder's 30th home run of the year. This makes the sixth consecutive season Fielder has had 30-or-more home runs, though obviously the first in the American League.
The Tigers' offense was struggling to get much of anything done, and it appeared that Anibal Sanchez was going to get hung with a tough-luck loss as a result. Austin Jackson led off the eighth with a single, then Fielder drove him with his two-out blast to left field off Jared Burton.
Sanchez allowed a run on seven hits and a walk. He struck out eight. The Twins manufactured the run in the seventh, scoring Jamey Carroll from second on a single by Pedro Florimon.
Tigers closer Jose Valverde orchestrated the 1-2-3 ninth inning, though a lot of credit has to be given to Austin Jackson. He made a leaping catch on a hard shot by Denard Span to open the inning, then pulled in a Ben Revere liner. Joe Mauer failed to get the ball out of the infield, being tagged by Prince Fielder for the third out.