MLB: Detroit 11, Minnesota 9 (16 inn.)

MINNEAPOLIS, July 4 (UPI) -- Placido Polanco, Ryan Raburn and Magglio Ordonez all singled in a run in the 16th inning Friday, bringing the Detroit Tigers a marathon 11-9 win over Minnesota.

The teams combined for 35 hits and the Tigers maintained their 2 ½-game lead over the Chicago White Sox at the top of the American League Central.

The Twins created a 7-7 deadlock with a five-run sixth inning and neither side could score again until the Tigers scraped out a run against R.A. Dickey in the 14th inning. Minnesota, however, tied the game in the bottom half of the 14th and they played on for two more frames before Detroit produced enough offense to win it.

With Dickey (1-1) still on the mound for his third inning of work, Ramon Santiago delivered a one-out single and moved to third on a double by Curtis Granderson. Polanco, Raburn and Ordonez then took turns producing RBI singles.

Minnesota tried to rally again in the bottom half, getting a run-scoring double from Justin Morneau with one out. Freddy Dolsi (1-0) retired the next two batters, however, to finish off a three-inning stint that brought him his first win of the season and the second of his career.