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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
DETROIT (AP) -- Jeff Weaver has pitched much better this season than his record indicates.
Weaver came within one out of his first career shutout and the Detroit Tigers snapped a three-game losing streak, beating the Minnesota Twins 1-0 Friday night.
Dean Palmer drove in the only run with a sacrifice fly in the
first inning, giving him 100 RBI.
Weaver (11-15) gave up six hits, struck out six and walked two. He was pulled after Doug Mientkiewicz singled with two outs in the ninth.
"I really didn't want to take him out," Tigers manager Phil
Garner said. "The overriding thing was the number of pitches
(126). If we're in a pennant race he stays in, and hopefully that's
where we are next year."
Todd Jones relieved and gave up a bloop single to Torii Hunter
before retiring Jacque Jones on a grounder for his 42nd save.
Weaver was 2-4 in his last six starts, but the Tigers scored
only four runs in the losses and were shut out twice. His ERA over
the stretch was 3.44.
"I think he's been dominant in his last five or six outings,"
Garner said. "The thing for me what he's doing is consistently
keeping the ball down, and he's been doing that for a month and a
half now."
Friday's win was especially sweet for Weaver, who was only 1-3 with a 10.69 ERA in his previous four starts against the Twins.
"I was definitely a lot more focused on getting ahead and making them guess more and getting some little pop flies ahead in the count," Weaver said.
The Twins' biggest threat came in the eighth, when two singles
and a hit batter loaded the bases with one out. But Denny Hocking
struck out for the third time and Cristian Guzman popped to short.
Weaver exited to a loud ovation in the ninth.
"It definitely gave me chills," Weaver said. "That's what you go out and try to do every day."
The Twins also threatened in the sixth, when John Barnes hit a
one-out single and A.J. Pierzynski walked. Weaver then struck out
Hocking and Guzman.
"To have my last start finish like this certainly feels a lot
better," Weaver said. "One of my goals was to finish strong, and
I was able to do that."
Mientkiewicz, who helped lead the United States to the Olympic gold medal earlier this week, was 2-for-4 in his first big league game of the season. He batted .334 at Triple-A Salt Lake City before joining the Olympic team.
Joe Mays (7-15), who shut out Detroit in May, gave up a run and six hits in eight innings.
"I feel I'm back in control," Mays said. "This is a good way
to end and come back in the spring. I went down to Triple-A and
learned about my delivery and about myself and I got my confidence
back.
"I threw well down there and came back up and I told myself to
prove to these guys I've got control."
Palmer's sacrifice fly came after Juan Encarnacion singled and Bobby Higginson doubled.
Higginson, playing left field, also robbed the Twins in the top
of the first when he made a rolling catch of Guzman's liner and a
shoestring catch of Matt Lawton's blooper.
"Higgy had a great first inning, a couple of great catches and
then a double," Twins manager Tom Kelly said. "Sometimes that
first inning can get you. Between Weaver and Higgy, those two guys
got us tonight."
Game notes
The Twins were shut out for the eighth time. They're averaging just three runs a game in their last six and are 13-53 when scoring three runs or fewer. ... Palmer reached 100 RBI for the third straight season and the fourth time in his career. ... Hunter was 2-for-4 and extended his career-best hitting streak to 12 games. ... Higginson has 174 hits, tying his career high.
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