Tigers avoid infamy as Twins prep for Yanks

DETROIT (AP) -- Mike Maroth and the Detroit Tigers went out as winners.

The Tigers avoided the 1962 New York Mets' modern-day record for losses, finishing their best six-game stretch of the season with a 9-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Sunday.

Detroit (43-119) used a seven-run sixth inning to win for the fifth time in six games, allowing the expansion Mets (40-120) to keep the unwanted distinction of having the most losses since 1900.

With the 18,959 fans at Comerica Park standing and cheering, and Kool & the Gang's "Celebration" playing after the final out, the Tigers players hugged each other on the field as the scoreboard flashed "Victory!"

Maroth (9-21) gave up two runs on eight hits and a walk to win for the third time in four starts. It was a strong finish for him after he earlier became the first pitcher since 1980 to lose 20 games.

Detroit, which came back from an eight-run deficit the previous night, hadn't scored more than five runs or had six hits in an inning this season until its burst in the sixth.

Dmitri Young hit the go-ahead single, and Craig Monroe followed with a two-run homer, a 415-foot shot to left, as eight of the first nine Tigers got hits.

Division Series schedule

American League

New York vs. Minnesota

Tuesday, Sept. 30

Minnesota (Santana 12-3) at New York (Mussina 17-8), 12:06 p.m. (ESPN)

Thursday, Oct. 2

Minnesota (Radke 14-10) at New York (Pettitte 21-8), 7:18 p.m. (FOX)

Saturday, Oct. 4

New York (Clemens 17-9) at Minnesota (Lohse 14-11)

Sunday, Oct. 5

New York at Minnesota, if necessary

Monday, Oct. 6

Minnesota at New York, if necessary

Oakland vs. Boston

Wednesday, Oct. 1

Boston (Martinez 14-4) at Oakland (Hudson 16-7), 9:06 p.m. (ESPN)

Thursday, Oct. 2

Boston (Wakefield 11-7) at Oakland (Zito 14-12), 3:06 p.m. (ESPN2)

Saturday, Oct. 4

Oakland (Lilly 12-9) at Boston (Lowe 17-7)

Sunday, Oct. 5

Oakland at Boston, if necessary

Monday, Oct. 6

Boston at Oakland, if necessary

National League

San Francisco vs. Florida

Tuesday, Sept. 30

Florida (Beckett 9-8) at San Francisco (Schmidt 17-5), 3:06 p.m. (ESPN)

Wednesday, Oct. 1

Florida (Penny 14-10) at San Francisco (Ponson 3-6), 3:06 p.m. (ESPN)

Friday, Oct. 3

San Francisco (Rueter 10-5) at Florida (Redman 14-9), 3:06 p.m. (ESPN2)

Saturday, Oct. 4

San Francisco (J.Williams 7-5) at Florida (Willis 14-6), if necessary

Sunday, Oct. 5

Florida at San Francisco, if necessary

Atlanta vs. Chicago

Tuesday, Sept. 30

Chicago (Wood 14-11) at Atlanta (Ortiz 21-7), 7:18 p.m. (FOX)

Wednesday, Oct. 1

Chicago (Zambrano 13-11) at Atlanta (Hampton 14-8), 6:06 p.m. (ESPN)

Friday, Oct. 3

Atlanta (Maddux 16-11) at Chicago (Prior 18-6), 7:06 p.m. (ESPN)

Saturday, Oct. 4

Atlanta at Chicago (Clement 14-12), if necessary

Sunday, Oct. 5

Chicago at Atlanta, if necessary

The Tigers received a standing ovation from the crowd at Comerica Park after their big inning.

Just a few days ago, it seemed inevitable that the Tigers would make history they wanted no part of. A 10th straight setback on Sep. 22 broke Philadelphia's AL record of 117 losses.

As reporters from around the country descended on Detroit to record history, the Tigers suddenly started playing well, albeit against the Twins, who didn't play their regulars for an entire game after clinching their second straight AL Central title Tuesday.

Detroit came back from an eight-run hole for the first time since 1965 to beat the Twins 9-8 on a wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth Saturday night. Shane Halter's walk-off homer in the 11th inning gave the Tigers a 5-4 win Thursday night.

Minnesota started just four of its everyday players Sunday and by the seventh, all of them were resting for the AL division series against the New York Yankees.

Adam Johnson (0-1) allowed six runs on six hits and got only one out in relief.

The Twins had a chance to cut into Detroit's lead in the seventh with two on and one out, but the Tigers tied a franchise record with their 194th double play.

Bobby Higginson gave Detroit a 1-0 lead in the first with his 14th homer.

In the fifth, the Twins went ahead 2-1 on Chris Gomez's two-out homer and Matthew LeCroy's RBI double. Brandon Inge's double scored Halter from first on a hit-and-run to make it 2-all in the bottom of the inning.

Notes: Tigers manager Alan Trammell and his entire coaching staff will return for the 2004 season. ... Gomez, a former Tiger, hit his first homer since Aug. 22, 2002. ... Young, Detroit's only All-Star, finished the season with a 10-game hitting streak. ... Alex Sanchez extended his career-best hitting streak to 12 games with a double in the sixth. ... The Tigers also had 194 double plays in 1950.

Minnesota 000 020 020 -- 4 12 2

Detroit 100 017 00x -- 9 15 1

Lohse, BThomas (4), AJohnson (6), Rogers (6), Rincon (7), Balfour (8) and LeCroy, Bowen (7); Maroth, Mears (7), Bonderman (8), JWalker (9) and Inge, Hinch (8), Walbeck (9). W--Maroth 9-21. L--AJohnson 0-1. HRs--Minnesota, Gomez (1), Detroit, Higginson (14), Monroe (23).

Saturday's Game

Tigers 9, Twins 8

Even the ever-optimistic Alan Trammell was close to giving up on his Detroit Tigers.

"I was actually going to take a couple guys out," Trammell acknowledged.

Detroit's manager decided otherwise and the Tigers staved off a historic defeat with a startling rally, coming from eight runs down to beat Minnesota 9-8 on a wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning Saturday night.

"We're not the worst team in baseball, no matter what," Carlos Pena said. "We're going to have a better winning percentage than the Mets, and we won't beat their record. You've got to compare apples with apples, not apples with oranges, OK? They played 160 games and we'll play 162."

Trailing 8-0 in the fifth, the Tigers scored a run in the bottom of the inning and three more in the seventh to make it 8-4, prompting Trammell to keep his best players in the game.

The scrappy Tigers scored four more in the eighth to make it 8-all.

In the ninth, Alex Sanchez walked with one out and stole two bases. Warren Morris then struck out on a wild pitch from Jesse Orosco (1-1) as the ball went to the backstop.

Sanchez scored standing up as the Tigers streamed from the dugout and the sparse crowd cheered and danced.

"At first, I thought it was a foul ball, but everyone in the dugout was yelling for me to go, so I took off," Sanchez said.

Minnesota 100 430 000 -- 8 15 1

Detroit 000 010 341 -- 9 14 1

Radke, Pulido (6), Rincon (8), Romero (8), Orosco (9) and Pierzynski, Bowen (6); Knotts, Roney (4), Schmack (6), Rodney (9) and Inge. W--Rodney 1-3. L--Orosco 1-1. HRs--Minnesota, JJones (16), Ryan (5).