Nate Robertson is used to a lack of run support and in last night’s game he needed to be nearly perfect to win it because the Tigers were only able to pick up one run off of Matt Garza.  Fortunately, he nearly was perfect and he held the Twins to just three hits in seven shutout innings to pick up his sixth win of the season.  He walked two and struck out five and he had some help from Macay McBride and Todd Jones, who each threw a shutout frame.  Robertson did get into trouble in the sixth inning (right after the Tigers scored their run) and after letting two men get on base, he struck out Joe Mauer and Michael Cuddyer to finish up the inning and get out of the jam.

The lone Tiger run came in the sixth inning and at first it looked like it could be a big inning.  Brandon Inge reached first on an error by Jason Bartlett and then he moved to second on a wild pitch.  Curtis Granderson (more on him later) drew a walk to put two Tigers on with nobody out.  Then Placido Polanco botched a bunt attemp and popped it to Joe Mauer in four territory before Gary Sheffield flew out to left.  Magglio Ordonez came through in the clutch though and he hit a seeing eye single between the shortstop and the third baseman that allowed Inge to score from second base.

Curtis Granderson was three for four with a walk and he also belted his 27th double of the season.  Outside of Granderson’s three hits, the Tigers managed just two other singles and Ivan Rodriguez had a particularly tough game with three strikeouts.

The Indians won as well so the Tigers lead still sits at one game (two losses).  The Twins of course lose a game and they’re seven down.  Tonight, it’ll be Andruw Miller going up against Johan Santana and the Tigers definitely have their work cut out for them in this one.

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