Rival watch - Scherzer, Tigers roll past Twins 6-1, Indians fall 1.5 games back in AL Central
DETROIT (AP) -- Max Scherzer pitched six solid innings to remain undefeated this season, and Avisail Garcia broke the game open with a bases-loaded triple, leading the Detroit Tigers over the Minnesota Twins 6-1 on Sunday.
Scherzer, who retired his last 22 batters in a win at Cleveland on Tuesday, allowed a run and three hits Sunday in improving to 7-0. He struck out six and walked three.
Torii Hunter homered for the Tigers, and Prince Fielder drove in a run with a fourth-inning double. Garcia, pinch-hitting in the sixth, cleared the bases to make it 6-1.
Mike Pelfrey (3-5) allowed five runs and five hits in 5 2-3 innings. He walked three and struck out five.
Minnesota has lost 11 of 12.
Scherzer set down the Twins in order in the first, extending his streak of batters retired to 25 before Minnesota drew back-to-back walks to start the second. He is the first Detroit pitcher to start the year 7-0 since Jeremy Bonderman was 8-0 in 2007.
Hunter opened the scoring in the first with an opposite-field solo homer, and in the fourth, Miguel Cabrera walked and scored on Fielder's double. Each of the last six times Cabrera has walked, Fielder has followed with a hit.
Cabrera extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a one-out single in the sixth, and Avila later drove him home with a bloop single that fell between three fielders in short left-center.
That hit chased Pelfrey, and after Casey Fien walked Omar Infante to load the bases, the Twins brought in left-hander Caleb Thielbar. Detroit countered with Garcia, who hits right-handed, and he sent a drive to left-center to bring home three more runs.
Drew Smyly pitched 2 1-3 hitless innings of relief for the Tigers to finish the game.
Minnesota's only run came in the fifth on an RBI single by Jamey Carroll.
NOTES: The longest streak of batters retired by a pitcher this year is 29 by Shelby Miller of St. Louis, according to STATS. On May 10, against Colorado, Miller allowed a leadoff single in the first before retiring the final 27 batters to end the game. Then on May 15, Miller retired the first two New York Mets he faced. ... Hunter needs one more homer to reach 300. ... Tigers manager Jim Leyland said there's no timetable for the return of OF Austin Jackson, who has been on the DL since May 12 with a pulled left hamstring. RHP Octavio Dotel (right elbow) isn't expected back for a while. ... Minnesota OF Wilkin Ramirez did not play. He left Saturday's game when he was shaken up in an outfield collision. ... Detroit begins a two-game home series with Pittsburgh on Monday. Justin Verlander (5-4) takes the mound for the Tigers against Francisco Liriano (3-0). The Twins play at Milwaukee. Kevin Correia (4-4) is set to start for Minnesota against Wily Peralta (3-5).
