Magglio Ordonez and Brandon Inge each had two RBI Tuesday when the Detroit Tigers beat Minnesota 6-5 to split a doubleheader. Minnesota won the first game 3-2 to close to within one game of Detroit in the American League Central race.

Brian Duensing threw 6 1/3 shutout innings Friday to lead Minnesota past Detroit 3-0 and help the Twins narrow their deficit in the race for a division title. The Twins won their fifth straight game and Detroit lost for the eighth time in 11 games.

Joe Mauer, Orlando Cabrera and Michael Cuddyer each drove in a pair of runs Sunday in the Minnesota Twins' 8-0 victory over the Oakland Athletics. Mauer hit an RBI single and a solo homer. Cabrera hit a two-run double.

John McDonald hit a three-run homer in a six-run sixth inning outburst Tuesday to lead the Toronto Blue Jays to a 6-3 win over Minnesota. Edwin Encarnacion hit a two-run single and Randy Ruiz drove in the other run for the Blue Jays. Winning pitcher Ricky Romero (12-7) gave up three runs on seven hits over 6 2/3 innings. Jason Kubel drove in two runs and scored once and Orlando Cabrera and Denard Span each had two hits and a run scored for the Twins, who have lost four of their last six games. Twins starter Brian Duensing allowed three runs on six hits in five-plus innings.

Minnesota scored all its runs in the first inning Friday, and Joe Nathan survived a shaky ninth to preserve a 3-2 win for the Twins over Texas. The Twins moved past the Chicago White Sox into second place in the American League Central, 4 1/2 games behind division-leading Detroit. Joe Mauer, Jason Kubel and Michael Cuddyer had run-scoring hits in the first inning, and Minnesota starting pitcher Brian Duensing easily protected the lead. Duensing (2-1), making only his second start since being called up from Class AAA Rochester, allowed a run on three hits and struck out eight over seven innings. Nathan came on in the ninth to protect a 3-1 advantage, but gave up a two-out double to Ivan Rodriguez.