The Minnesota Twins will try to extend their home winning streak to seven games when they close a three-game series against the Detroit Tigers on Sunday.
The Twins (15-14) have won four straight overall as they try to complete a perfect homestand. After sweeping a two-game set with the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday and Wednesday, they won the first two games of this series with the Tigers (14-17), winning 11-1 on Friday, then 4-1 on Saturday.
Michael Cuddyer drove in two runs on Saturday and former Tiger Craig Monroe hit a two-run home run in the seventh. Curtis Granderson's solo shot in the eighth, meanwhile, was Detroit's only run of the game.
The Tigers came into this series having won eight of 10.
"We've had a few games where we rolled and looked pretty good, and then for whatever reason, mysteriously, we are right back to the funk," manager Jim Leyland said.
The Twins bullpen came up big Saturday when starter Scott Baker left after three scoreless innings because of a groin injury. Brian Bass pitched four innings, allowing just three hits to record his first major league win.
"It's kind of funny because you've come to expect our bullpen to do a job like that," Baker told the Twins' official Web site, "just on the sheer fact that they continue to do it."
Minnesota has a 1.15 bullpen ERA during its home winning streak.
The Twins look to extend their longest home winning streak since a seven-game run from July 14-20, 2006 when they send Boof Bonser (2-4, 3.75 ERA) to the mound.
Bonser is coming off one of his best starts of the season. He pitched seven innings on Tuesday against the White Sox, allowing one run and six hits while striking out a season-high eight in the 3-1 victory, which snapped a personal two-game losing streak.
"That's the best I've seen him this year," catcher Joe Mauer said.
The right-hander is 2-0 with a 3.75 ERA in two career starts against the Tigers.
Detroit counters with Kenny Rogers (2-3, 6.75).
Rogers is hoping that the Tigers snap out of their offensive slump in this series. In his first three starts this year, Detroit was shut out in each of those games, but the Tigers have scored a combined 19 runs of support in his last three starts. Rogers is 2-0 with a 6.75 ERA during that stretch.
The 43-year-old left-hander allowed two runs and six hits in six innings on Tuesday against the Yankees. He also matched a season high with four walks in the 6-4 win.
Rogers is 11-3 with a 2.39 ERA in his last 20 starts against the Twins, including wins in his last three outings -- all in 2006. He is 6-1 with a 2.69 ERA in his last starts at the Metrodome.
The Tigers haven't been swept in a three-game series with the Twins since 2005.