MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- Danny Valencia singled in Michael Cuddyer from second with one out in the 10th inning Wednesday, giving the Minnesota Twins a 2-1 victory over Detroit.
The Twins maintained a four-game lead over the second-place Chicago White Sox in the American League Central with their second straight victory.
The contest featured a tremendous battle between Detroit's Max Scherzer, who struck out nine and allowed four hits over nine innings, and Minnesota's Francisco Liriano, who had seven strikeouts and gave up five hits in seven frames.
Ryan Perry (2-5) relieved Scherzer in the 10th and immediately gave up a single to Cuddyer. Delmon Young struck out swinging, but Cuddyer stole second on the strikeout pitch and he scored when Valencia singled to center on a 3-2 offering.
That made a winner out of Jon Rauch (3-1), who needed only four pitches to get through the top of the 10th.
