After a home run by one of his best hitters

DETROIT -- After a home run by one of his best hitters and strong effort from the bullpen, Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire was in good spirits in his office. Bobby Wagner Jersey. The Twins have little time to waste if they want to avoid another lost season, but sweeping two games in Detroit against the defending AL Central champions was a small step in the right direction. "We had some good things happen -- a good couple of wins here," Gardenhire said. "This is a great team. This is the team everybodys picked to win this division, and you come in here and you win a couple of ballgames against them, and you go toe to toe with them. Its a good feeling. Its something we can kind of build off of." Justin Morneau of New Westminster, B.C., hit a two-run homer in his second game back from a wrist injury, and the Twins held on for a 4-3 victory over the Tigers on Thursday in the finale of a two-game series. Minnesota jumped ahead 4-0 and held on through some tense moments in the late innings. P.J. Walters (1-1) allowed four hits -- including three solo homers -- in 6 1-3 innings for the Twins, who have won two in a row for only the second time this season. Theyre 12-26 in 2012 after losing 99 games last year. Morneaus homer off Doug Fister (0-2) opened the scoring in the third, and Trevor Plouffe followed with a long ball. Minnesota added another run in the fifth before the Tigers came back with homers by Brennan Boesch, Andy Dirks and Prince Fielder. "I dont like to give up home runs, but the offence gave me a little room to work with there, so it didnt hurt us," Walters said. Three relievers finished for the Twins, with Matt Capps pitching a perfect ninth for his eighth save. Francisco Liriano came on with two on and one out in the seventh and got pinch-hitter Ramon Santiago to hit into a double play. Glen Perkins walked the first two Detroit hitters in the eighth on nine pitches, but he struck out Fielder, and Delmon Young hit into a double play to end that inning. "The only thing that has been consistent for this team is the inconsistency, and thats mind boggling to me," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "We just arent putting together the combinations that we need to win." The Tigers were hoping for a strong start from Fister after allowing 19 runs in their previous two games against the Twins and Chicago White Sox, but the Detroit right-hander was in trouble from the start. Minnesota left the bases loaded in the first, and Fister got out of a first-and-third, one-out jam in the second after he stepped toward third and threw back to first to catch Jamey Carroll off base for the second out of the inning. With two outs in the third, Morneau and Plouffe hit back-to-back homers. Morneaus opposite-field shot was his fifth homer of the year and first since coming off the disabled list. He returned to the lineup Wednesday night after being on the DL since May 1 with a sore left wrist. "Him driving the ball the other way is huge," Gardenhire said. "He starts getting a little pull happy at times, and if hes staying on the ball like that and gets the barrel on it, thats all he has to do is put a nice swing on the ball." Fister, who missed most of April with a left side strain, hadnt allowed a run at Comerica Park since Aug. 30. Minnesota added a crucial run in the fifth after Fielder failed to catch Fisters throw to first on Josh Willinghams tapper. Willingham went all the way to third on the play, and Morneau drove him home with a groundball. Fister allowed four runs -- three earned -- and nine hits in six innings. He struck out five and walked two. Boeschs homer in the bottom of the inning was Detroits first hit off Walters. Dirks and Fielder added solo shots of their own in the sixth. NOTES: Boesch extended his hitting streak to 10 games. ... Detroit RHP Luis Marte (left hamstring strain) has been assigned to Class A Lakeland as part of an injury rehabilitation assignment. ... Detroit sends Justin Verlander (4-1) to the mound Friday to start a three-game series against Pittsburgh. Charlie Morton (2-3) starts for the Pirates. ... The Twins are at Milwaukee. Scott Diamond (2-0) will start for Minnesota on Friday against Marco Estrada (0-2). Brandon Browner Jersey.Y. -- When push came to shove, Carl Edwards got the best of Brad Keselowski. Cortez Kennedy Jersey. The 24-year-old Van der Wiel played for the Netherlands during the European Championship earlier this year and has made 35 international appearances. http://www.seahawksteamstore.com/russell-wilson-jerseys. Cheer tackle Willie Roafs induction. Watch Drew Brees produce a touchdown on his only try. Richard Sherman Womens Jersey." Darnell McDonald hit a tiebreaking three-run double and homered to help Boston rally to beat the Chicago White Sox 10-3 on Friday night. Kam Chancellor Jersey. The National Basketball Players Association said Friday that arbitrator Kenneth Dam affirmed its position that players claimed off waivers can use their "Bird" and "Early Bird" rights.NBA Commissioner David Stern appeared on The Jim Rome Show carried by TSN Radio 1290 in Winnipeg and the interview turned contentious when Rome asked about the NBA Draft Lottery won by the New Orleans Hornets. "I know that you appreciate a good conspiracy theory as much as the next guy, was the fix in for the lottery?" asked Rome. "I have two answers for that. The simple easy one, no, the second, a statement, shame on you for asking," replied Stern. The Hornets, a team that was owned by the NBA at the time of the Draft Lottery, moved up the three spots to claim the first overall pick. The Charlotte Bobcats finished with the worst winning percentage (.106) in NBA history and had the best chance to win the lottery but dropped to second spot. Rome told Stern that he had a responsibility to his listeners to ask the question but Stern disagreed. "No, its ridiculous, but thats OK. Have you stopped beating your wife yet??," asked Stern, appearing to point out to Rome that his original question was presumptuous. Chris Clemons Jersey. "I dont think thats fair," replied Rome. Stern continued to engage Rome in a tete-a-tete and made reference to their history of heated conversations. "You and I have been in more contentious talks than that. But its good copy. You do these things for cheap thrills." "Cheap trick," Stern continued. "Youve been successful in making a career of it, and I keep coming on." That led to a number of short remarks from both Rome and Stern. "Making a career of it? Making a career of what? What? Cheap thrills?," Rome said. "Now youre getting mad," Stern added. "Youre taking on the world and now Jim Rome is pouting." "Im not pouting, Im taking offence," replied Rome. The Jim Rome can be heard weekdays at 1pm ct on TSN Radio 1290 in Winnipeg. ' ' '