Inge's 9th inning homer lifts Tigers over Twins

DETROIT -- Brandon Inge swears he doesn't save his home-run swing for dramatic moments. It is starting to look a little suspicious, though. In a season where Inge is hitting .194 and has endured a trip back to the minors in his 11th season, Saturday's walk-off homer was just his third of the season -- and he's earned a standing ovation every time. The first one came on April 13, when he hit a walk-off shot off Texas' Darren Oliver -- a victory that may prove crucial as the Tigers battle the Rangers for the second seed in the American League playoffs. The second homer was on August 20, in his first at-bat since rejoining the Tigers after an embarrassing month with the Toledo Mud Hens. Then came Saturday, and he hit a two-out bomb into the left-field stands to give the Tigers a 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins. "Trust me, if I could do this on command, I wouldn't be hitting .194," Inge said when asked about his moments in the spotlight. "But yeah, I love situations like that. When you are up in a spot like that, you know that you have a chance to do something spectacular -- and it is even better to do it in front of these great fans in Detroit. No one appreciates a team like our fans." The victory moved the Tigers one step closer to clinching the AL Central -- with 18 games left, Chicago's magic number is now nine while Cleveland's is eight -- but Inge isn't going to celebrate until both of those numbers hit zero. "Everyone in this room that was on the team in 2009 -- and that's most of us -- learned a big lesson from that season," he said. "All we had to do was find a way to win one more game somewhere, and we would have never had to play Game 163 in Minnesota. That was all we needed, so this year, we're not going to get any game get away." Tigers manager Jim Leyland was happy with Inge's home run for several reasons. Not only did it give his team another win in a tight race with Texas, it also prevented the extra innings that might have kept him away from the first night game in Michigan Stadium history -- something he had been anxiously awaiting all week. "I've got my tickets and parking pass right here," Leyland said during his post-game press conference. "I'm hoping to get there around 8:30, so I should see most of the game." Even more important than college football, one of Leyland's biggest passions outside of baseball, was the thrill he got in seeing Inge come through in another big moment. "He has been a solid player and a solid person for this franchise for a lot of years, so it is great to see him contribute in a huge way for us tonight," Leyland said. "I've got to find a way to get Carlos (Guillen) into a couple games and give him that same chance." Detroit has now won eight straight games, some in blowouts, some in close games and now two with walk-off homers. "This is a great streak, and I think it has been a good tonic for our players, our fans and the whole city of Detroit," Leyland said. "I've been around baseball for a long time, and I know that these things don't last forever, but it is fun when you get on a roll like this." Inge might have never gotten his chance at the ninth-inning game-winner if not for Max Scherzer. On a day where Scherzer struggled with his control, he still allowed just two runs in seven innings. "I didn't have command of my fastball at all, so it was really a battle," he said. "I just made a few pitches when I needed them, I got some help from my defense and I managed to mostly get out of it." Scherzer is known for constantly tinkering with his delivery, and it is starting to frustrate Leyland, especially with the postseason on the horizon. "There is analyzing and then there is over-analyzing, and that's definitely an issue for Max," he said. "There are times that he'll throw a pitch that is nowhere near where it is supposed to be, and then he'll throw a perfect one. He has to work on that consistency." He doesn't have long, because with Brad Penny struggling, the Tigers can't afford another starter to get out of sync this close to what they hope will be a long run into October.