Twins topple Tigers, clinch at least a tie for AL Central title

DETROIT >> Randy Dobnak allowed one hit in six sparkling innings, and Luis Arraez and Eddie Rosario homered to lead Minnesota to a 5-1 win over Detroit that put the Twins on the cusp of an AL Central title Wednesday night.

With the victory, Minnesota clinched at least a tie for the division — and the Twins had a chance to wrap up the title outright if Cleveland lost to the White Sox later Wednesday.

Dobnak (2-1) allowed no scoring after an unearned run in the first. Arraez hit a two-run homer in the seventh off Drew VerHagen (4-3), who had combined with Daniel Norris to shut out the Twins until then. Nelson Cruz added an RBI single in the eighth, and Rosario’s two-run shot that inning made it 5-1.

Minnesota (98-60) is on the verge of winning its first AL Central title since 2010 and has its highest victory total since the 1970 team also won 98 games. The Tigers (46-111) are assured of baseball’s worst record and the No. 1 pick in next year’s draft. DIAMONDBACKS 9, CARDINALS 7 >> Pinch-hitter Paul Goldschmidt grounded into a game-ending double play with two runners on the base and NL Central-leading St. Louis fell short during a ninth-inning rally, losing to Arizona.

St. Louis and Arizona were back on the field about 11 hours after the Diamondbacks’ 3-2 win in 19 innings, a game that took nearly seven hours. Cardinals starter Michael Wacha was pulled in the second inning with tightness in his right shoulder.

Errors by rookie infielders Tommy Edman and Edmundo Sosa helped Arizona score seven times in the sixth for a 9-5 lead.