Tigers complete 2-game sweep of Twins, 9-7

Brandon Inge hit an RBI triple off the center field wall in the ninth inning to lift the Tigers to their fifth win in a row, 9-7 over the slumping Minnesota Twins.

Inge’s big hit off Twins closer Matt Capps (1-2) scored Ramon Santiago, and Austin Jackson followed with a squeeze bunt. Jose Valverde got his eighth save in eight tries for a Tigers team that is starting to find its groove after a lackluster start.

Jhonny Peralta had a pinch-hit, two-run homer in the eighth inning and Victor Martinez went 3 for 4 with a homer and three RBIs for the Tigers, extending his hitting streak to 11 games for Detroit, which had slugger Miguel Cabrera ejected in the sixth inning.

Joaquin Benoit (1-2) allowed one unearned run in 1 2-3 innings of relief to get the win for the Tigers, who have won eight of nine after a seven-game skid to keep from falling too far behind Cleveland in the AL Central, which Detroit is currently 4 1/2 games behind 1st place.