ITPV » nthers needed a win, coach Ben Jacobs

DETROIT - Max Scherzer was finally willing to do a bit of scoreboard watching.For the Detroit Tigers, a fourth straight AL Central title is within reach.Ive said the whole time Im not worried about what Kansas City does, and Im focused only on what we do, but this is the first time this season, I actually want Kansas City to lose, Scherzer said. That way we can come to the park (Friday) and win, and clinch it.Scherzer didnt get his wish a€” the second-place Royals won Thursday night a€” but the Tigers had already reduced their magic number to two with a 4-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins. Detroit needs more than just a victory to clinch the division Friday a€” but if the Tigers win and the Royals lose, the Central will belong to Motown again.The Tigers, who have already wrapped up a post-season spot, lead Kansas City by two games with three to play.Scherzer made it through six tough innings, Victor Martinez hit a two-run homer in the first and Miguel Cabrera added a solo shot in the fourth. Detroits bullpen, so often a problem this year, breezed through the final three innings without allowing a baserunner.Weve battled Scherzer pretty good through the course of the year, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. Hes got great stuff and we thought it was moving everywhere tonight. We had a lot of good at-bats and made him throw a ton of pitches. He still hangs in there.Scherzer (18-5) allowed two runs and five hits.Minnesotas Trevor May (3-6) allowed three runs and five hits in six innings. He struck out seven and walked one.Martinez gave Detroit an early lead with his 32nd homer of the year. Cabreras 24th made it 3-0, but the Twins made Scherzer work. After escaping trouble in the second and fourth, the right-hander allowed a two-run double to Joe Mauer in the fifth.Scherzer struck out nine and walked four while throwing 116 pitches.He had good stuff. I think he was a little erratic at times with his location. As a result, his pitch count got up, Detroit manager Brad Ausmus said. He worked out of a couple jams and then held them to a couple runs.Rajai Davis doubled home an insurance run for Detroit in the seventh.RELIEVEDDetroits maligned bullpen held on rather easily. Joakim Soria pitched the seventh, Joba Chamberlain handled the eighth and Joe Nathan finished for his 34th save in 41 chances.Nathan struck out two in the ninth and lowered his ERA to 4.89.Today was smooth. The results worked out, Nathan said. Was it my best stuff? I dont know about that. I threw pretty good.KEPT IN CHECKMinnesota has given the Tigers problems of late, splitting a four-game set in late August and taking two of three from Detroit earlier this month. The Twins scored 60 runs in those seven games, but they were quiet offensively Thursday.Mauer drove in Minnesotas only runs but also struck out twice.TRAINERS ROOMTwins: Minnesota does not expect 3B Trevor Plouffe to need surgery after he broke his left forearm Wednesday, but hes seeking a second opinion just to be sure.Tigers: Detroit RHP Anibal Sanchez was up in the bullpen briefly, but he didnt come into the game. Sanchez hasnt pitched since being activated Tuesday from the disabled list. He was on the DL with a pectoral strain.Ausmus says hed like to get Sanchez in a game soon, but its hard to find a good spot for what would be his first appearance since Aug. 8.I think he does need to get in there, Ausmus said. We were looking for opportunities the last two days. Im a little hesitant to throw him, first inning out of the pen, into the fire of a one-run game in the seventh, but we do have to get him in there.UP NEXTThe Tigers send Rick Porcello (15-12) to the mound Friday against Minnesotas Anthony Swarzak (3-2) on a night Detroit hopes will turn celebratory. The Tigers have not clinched a division title at home since 1987. Hugo Ayala Jersey . Howard had 17 points and a career-high-tying 26 rebounds in his Houston debut, James Harden added 21 points and the Rockets cruised to a 96-83 win over the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night. Carlos Vela Jersey . The 24-year-old right winger has one assist in nine games this season with the Sabres. In his career, he has three goals and six assists in 43 NHL games. http://www.soccermexicojerseysteamstore.com/javier-hernandez-mexico-jersey/ . Or, for that matter, the aged. Hector Moreno Jersey . Wearing bib No. 1, Maze skied through the gates cleanly to defend her big first-run lead and finish 0.07 seconds ahead of Anna Fenninger of Austria. Defending champion Viktoria Rebensburg of Germany was third, trailing 0. Andres Guardado Jersey . Despite Arsenals financial firepower, the 31-year-old midfielder was the only arrival in the January transfer window. Signed until the end of the season as injury cover, Kallstrom might not be fit until mid-March after arriving Friday at Arsenal having injured his back earlier in the week while training with Spartak Moscow.Cedar Falls, IA (SportsNetwork.com) - Jeremy Morgan scored 18 points and No. 23 Northern Iowa held on to beat Loyola-Chicago 67-58 on Sunday. Deon Mitchell added 13 points in the win and Seth Tuttle scored nine. The Panthers (12-2, 1-1 MVC) got their first Missouri Valley Conference win of the season despite going without a field goal over the last 5 1/2 minutes. It came three days after a loss to Evansville in their league opener, which will likely knock them out of the rankings. The Panthers needed a win, coach Ben Jacobson said. It was extremely important coming off the (loss) that we had, he said. Milton Doyle scored 13 points to lead Loyola (11-3, 1-1) and Jay Knuth had 12. The Ramblers had a seven-game winning streak snapped, which included a victory over conference foe Bradley on New Years Eve. Knuths 3-pointer had the Ramblers within nine, but they went the nextt five minutes without another point while Northern Iowa built a 59-41 lead with a 9-0 run.dddddddddddd Tuttles layup capped the flurry with 5:31 left and was the Panthers last field goal. Though they missed seven foul shots in the last three minutes, the Panthers scored their final eight points at the free throw line, never letting Loyola get closer than seven Earlier, both teams shot better than 50 percent in the first half. Northern Iowa led by as much as nine points late and took a 32-28 edge into the break. The Panthers improved to 7-0 at home this season and have won their last 10 at McLeod Center. Game Notes Northern Iowa leads the all-time series 7-2 ... Devon Turk scored 11 points for Loyola ... Northern Iowa faces Southern Illinois on Wednesday ... Loyola travels to play Evansville on Wednesday. ' ' '