Morneau’s homer, Blackburn’s latest complete game lead Twins past Tigers 6-2, tighten race

Morneau, Blackburn lead Twins past Tigers 6-2

MINNEAPOLIS — Justin Morneau punctuated a productive series — and celebrated another All-Star game selection — with a two-run homer for the Minnesota Twins in a 6-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday.

Blackburn (7-4) took a shutout into the ninth inning before left fielder Denard Span dropped a line drive for an error and Brandon Inge followed with a two-run home run, his 19th.

Blackburn won for only the second time in his last six turns, but he’s been pitching plenty well. Establishing himself this season as Minnesota’s best starter, Blackburn has yielded three earned runs or less in each of his last nine appearances and completed six innings or more each time. This was his third complete game in his last four starts. He gave up seven hits and struck out six.

Morneau went deep twice during the series and finished 9-for-15 with five RBIs.

The Twins scored all of their runs in the fourth against rookie Rick Porcello (8-6), who threw seven shutout innings at them during a defeat in Detroit on May 5.

They sent 10 batters to the plate that inning, using an RBI single by Delmon Young to take a 3-0 lead after Morneau’s homer. Span followed with a sharp grounder to shortstop Adam Everett with two outs and the bases loaded.

Everett spun and tried to make an off-balance, falling-away throw in the air, but the ball sailed into right field while three runs scored. Porcello finished the inning, but that was it for him: seven hits, two walks and his second straight loss following four consecutive victories.

Despite Span’s drop, the Twins have only 32 errors past the midpoint of the season. That puts them on pace to breeze by their team record for fewest fielding flubs in one year, 74 in 2002.

The Tigers have held sole possession of first place daily since May 16, but a lack of offensive life on this road trip — they were batting .227 entering the game — led to a 3-6 record.

Their bats quiet again until the end, while Blackburn got them to pound harmless ground ball after ground ball into the turf, the Tigers let the Twins creep the closest they’ve been in the AL Central race in a month — two games back.

NOTES: The 53 pitches thrown in Friday night’s 16-inning game by speed-baller Joel Zumaya prompted manager Jim Leyland to declare the reliever off limits for the rest of the weekend. Zumaya missed a lot of time in 2007 and 2008 to finger and shoulder injuries, but Leyland said he wasn’t worried about increasing the right-hander’s pitch count, deadpanning: “He’s rested for two years.” … Twins 3B Joe Crede, signed to a one-year contract for $2.5 million plus up to $4.5 million more in playing-time escalators, has met his first incentive. He gets $500,000 for 250 plate appearances. If he reaches 540 plate appearances, he will make $7 million this season.