>> i don't think -- i think he and joe mauer are going to go right down to the end for the mvp.at joe mauer is going to play meaningful games the entire season, i think he's the best player in the league this year. >> last yankee with a triple and five rbi's in the game, howard in '65. your thoughts? >> what i love about teixeira and mauer, they not only help their team offensively, but both double plus defenders. mauer played one of the toughest places to play behind the dish obviously. teixeira turns hits into outs, with his arm, his glove. infielder's best friend. >> and cabrera has been doing an outstanding job on first base and carrying that tiger team the whole season. i like mauer and the power he's shown this year compared to any other year. he's got about close to 30 home runs. >> mauer and teixeira, an interesting barometer. mauer, probably had the best season and teixeira the guy who's impacted his team and the division the most. >> right. but then you look at mauer and take him off of the twins, where are they? a great race. i think it's between those two guys and je

>> i don't think -- i think he and joe mauer are going to go right down to the end for the mvp. the fact that joe mauer is going to play meaningful games the entire season, i think he's the best player in the league this year. >> last yankee with a triple and five rbi's in the game, howard in '65. your thoughts? >> what i love about teixeira and mauer, they not only help their team offensively, but both double plus defenders. mauer played one of the toughest places to play behind the dish obviously. teixeira turns hits into outs, with his arm, his glove. infielder's best friend. >> and cabrera has been doing an outstanding job on first base and carrying that tiger team the whole season. i like mauer and the power he's shown this year compared to any other year. he's got about close to 30 home runs. >> mauer and teixeira, an interesting barometer. mauer, probably had the best season and teixeira the guy who's impacted his team and the division the most. >> right. but then you look at mauer and take him off of the twins, where are they? a great race. i think it's between those two

top five, though, we're with a runner on first, joe mauer lines one to right center. scott podsednik gives it a dive but doesn't make the catch and cabrera coming around from first. the r.b.i. double for mauer. twins take a 5-4 lead. but their second lead of the game was very short-lived. francisco liriano on in relief, walked beckham, and then paul konerko doubles to right and beckham scores. so this ballgame's tied up at 5-5. top sixth, we're still tied at 5-5. michael cuddyer off john danks. cuddyer, what a game, he was a triple short of a cycle. twins up 6-5. later in the inning, matt tolbert off danks drives one deep to left. top of the fence, and with a bounce, it's gone. his second of the year. take another look at this. carlos quentin leaps at the wall just out of his reach. so despite blowing two leads, getting a rough start from a rookie, the twins, 8-6. eighth win in nine games to keep pace. the problem is tigers serving for the match. both teams winning last night, keeping the tigers up 2 1/2 in the central. both teams counting on rookies to get it done on

here comes joe mauer. a shot that gets by the diving scotty pods. scott podsednik. cabrera comes all the way in to score and the twins are back on top 5-4. but in the bottom of the fifth, francisco liriano on, in relief. paul konerko, brings beckham in all the way from first. so now tide back up at five. michael cuddyer, give me that. other way. home run number 29. minnesota, 6-5, they had the lead. later in the inning, danks still in there. giving up a few high flys. and he's giving up another. just barely out of the yard. huge sixth inning. as the twins cities, nine, gets a big win to answer the victory by detroit. so here's where things stand. and you see who's up next for each squad as detroit series continues with cleveland. minnesota series continues with the white sox and again to reiterate, next week, they meet in detroit for a big four-game set. and as long as minnesota can keep winning, they can at least go into that series with the idea that perhaps if they were to sweep, they would leave with the lead. >>> thank goodness for the a.l. central. >> giving u

two outs for joe mauer. raised his average to a major league leading .374 today.ainst the indians in 2009. bottom five, still 4-0, until michael cuddyer rocks the solo shot. 26th home run of the season. 1 of 3 hits and 1 of 3 rbis, and the twins win 7-3. nick blackburn, the win his second since the all-star break. he scattered two earned over 6 and a third. twins open a critical three of this game series against the tigers this weekend. they then play four more times in detroit at the end of the month. >> earlier this month, ernie harwell revealed his battle with cancer of the bile duct. it's an inoperable cancer. if you're unfamiliar, here's all you need to know. he spent 55 seasons calling major league games, the final 42 of them in detroit. prior to tonight's game, harwell visited with the tigers to thank them for their support, and he addressed the fans inside coamerica park. >> in my almost 92 years on this earth, the good lord has blessed me with a great journey. and the blessed part of that journey is that it's going to end here in the great state of michig

top five, game now tied at four, joe mauer up with two out and one on. scott podsednik almost got to it. but this isn't the almost "sportscenter." cabrera scores all the way from first on a close play. the twins back on top 5-4. bottom of the fifth, francisco liriano on in relief of manship. paul konerko getting to him. beckham will come all the way around from first. and chicago comes back to tie the game at five. but michael cuddyer did it for the twins. solo shot for him. his 29th of the year. minnesota regains the lead at 6-5. later in the inning, matt colbert off danks. off the top of the fence. they say it was a home run. tolbert's second home run of the year. big sixth inning for the twins helped them pull away and win 8-6. tigers and twins both remain so detroit's lead remains at 2 1/2 games in the a.l. central. twins, 12-8 this month, that's just one game better than the tigers. >>> cardinals in a bit of a lull. they've lost 6-10. albert pujols, top three, two outs, two on, he singles. skip schumaker scores. and pujols with the r.b.i. sole posse

top five, game now tied at four, joe mauer up with two out and one on. scott podsednik almost got to it. but this isn't the almost "sportscenter." cabrera scores all the way from first on a close play. the twins back on top 5-4. bottom of the fifth, francisco liriano on in relief of manship. paul konerko getting to him. beckham will come all the way around from first. and chicago comes back to tie the game at five. but michael cuddyer did it for the twins. solo shot for him. his 29th of the year. minnesota regains the lead at 6-5. later in the inning, matt colbert off danks. off the top of the fence. they say it was a home run. tolbert's second home run of the year. big sixth inning for the twins helped them pull away and win 8-6. tigers and twins both remain so detroit's lead remains at 2 1/2 games in the a.l. central. twins, 12-8 this month, that's just one game better than the tigers. >>> cardinals in a bit of a lull. they've lost 6-10. albert pujols, top three, two outs, two on, he singles. skip schumaker scores. and pujols with the r.b.i. sole posse

he's got a 1-0 lead, but joe mauer, here in the first, his 28th. >> it only lasted half a second. >>ctly. tigers back up 2-1 in the third. bernard span -- >> these are speedsters. >> blowing up the second base. >> that one from adam everett is off the foot of pavano. >> you wonder why the guys stick their legs up it's to look for the deflection. >> they don't come a whole lot faster than car rose gomez. even he can't steal on laird. >> you know, gosh, the catcher is making up the time. >> the game completely changed in the eighth inning. we'll look at the inning in a second. orlando cabrera and don kelly is out there. he said once it got above the lights i had no clue where it was, it was a day game. >> in the ninth, span had trouble with two balls in the roof and he plays there every game. >> doesn't matter if you're a rookie, a veteran or away. it doesn't matter. >> after the ball dropped they had second and third, so first base open, they'll walk mauer. now the bases are loaded for maybe the twins' best clutch hitter in kubel. sure enough, it finds don kelly once again. this drops

bottom one, joe mauer steps in, bang. verlander has to turn and watch it fly, number 28 on the season for mauer. we're tied at 1-1. bottom eight, runner on first, orlando cabrera pops it up into left. don kelly efforting, trying to get underneath it, loses it in the dome. ball drops right in front of him. runners now on second and third. you have to see this again. kelly just can't quite find the cowhide. verlander would intentionally walk mauer to load them up. and that would be just fine for jason kubel. because kubel makes him pay, singling in to left. his only hit drives in two. twins up 3-2, and that chased verlander, 7 1/3, five earned, six strikeouts. brandon lyon dealing with two aboard to michael cuddyer. and cuddyer, oh, you talk about clutch, oh, that is good wood, his 28th. cuddyer making a winner out of jesse crain. detroit's division lead shrinks to two. here's cuddyer. >> i've always said that our season parallels the games. i mean, we hang in there till the eighth and ninth, and then we try and get somethi

joe mauer added to their misery monday night. his 26th home run.s his previous career high. mauer, 2-4 hitting .391 in august. the chicago white sox have lost 15 out of their last 17 at the metrodome. they are six out in the central. the twins gain game on the tigers, so minnesota, only 3 1/2 hour. >> espn sideline reporter erin andrews has been interviewed for the oprah winfrey show. her first interview since footage of her being unknowingly videotaped inside a hotel room appeared on the internet. andrews told oprah winfrey the incident was "a nightmare." and that returning to work is going to help me heal my wounds. the interview is slated to air on the oprah winfrey show friday, september 11, she returns to the sidelines this thursday night for the south carolina nc state game on espn. top stories on the way. the ricky rubio saga continues. we now know he's not coming to minnesota just yet. but he has found a new home in spain. and brett favre on the field monday night for the vikings. we'll break down number four's second opportunity to win ove

joe mauer and ichiro. mauer has jumped out to a 22- point lead over ichiro for the batting title. if both of those guys at the top should hit over .360, which they well might, it will be the first time in 70 years that a guy hitting .360 will not win the title. mikey mantle and ted williams did that. that is to right field. markakis is there and he's got it and bartlett is retired for the out. celebrate object fest on saturday, object 3 in the bullpen picnic area. german foods and more. the space is going to be limbed, so your chance to celebrate october fest in that experience in a new way, you have to get on board at 888-848- bird or visit orioles.com. >> jim: so mickey hit over .360 and didn't win a batting title? >> gary: mantle hit .365 and williams at .388. >> jim: well, that explains it. >> gary: 1-0 delivery is outside to crawford who has singled and flied out. and ichiro probably will hit .360. >> jim: he got his 205, but he was like a 1-17 right before that. so it seems like he comes up when he really needs hits. so .350 is the magic number. >> gary: three points off of