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MINNEAPOLIS -- Detroits makeup against Minnesota on Thursday felt like an American Legion game to Tigers manager Brad Ausmus. Justin Upton said the game dragged because of a quiet and sparse crowd.Upton and the Tigers picked up another win in the AL wild-card chase, beating the Twins 9-2 in the opener of a day-night doubleheader.These games matter. We should be into them regardless of whos in the stands, Upton said. But we snapped out of it and started getting some runs.Upton hit a tiebreaking homer off Alex Wimmers (1-3) in the seventh for a 2-1 lead. Jose Iglesias had a sacrifice fly in the eighth and Martinez, who had missed two straight games because of a swollen right knee, pinch hit had a three-run homer against Pat Light in a six-run ninth.Detroit began the day one game behind Baltimore for the ALs second wild card.The makeup of Wednesday nights rainout drew an announced paid crowd of 18,374, but there were far fewer people in the seats. Fans in the small crowd could be heard calling out to the players on several occasions.You can hear every single thing said in the stands, Ausmus said. When you have a big crowd, everything is kind of just a buzz. But you could hear every single thing said; they had some fairly good barbs thrown out.Anibal Sanchez allowed one run and two hits in five innings in a spot start, and Alex Wilson (4-0), Shane Green and Mark Lowe finished the five-hitter.Brian Dozier led off the bottom of the first with his 42nd homer, one behind major league leader Mark Trumbo of Baltimore.Minnesota dropped to a big league-worst 55-97, the Twins most losses since they went 63-99 in 2011. Twins starter Pat Dean gave up one run and three hits in five innings.The offense is having a tough time, Minnesota manager Paul Molitor said. Were not putting much together. Some guys are scuffling. Were trying to find a way to create some offense. It just isnt happening right now.Detroits Justin Verlander (14-8) was to start against Ervin Santana (7-10) in the night game.AMONG SECONDSDozier has an AL record 40 homers as a second baseman, one more than Alfonso Sorianos total in 2002. Only Rogers Hornsby (42 in 1922), Davey Johnson (42 in 1973) and Ryne Sandberg (40 in 1990) have hit more.Dozier extended his hitting streak to 24 games, tied for the third-longest in Twins history.Its unfortunate for him that he hasnt been able to celebrate a lot of those home runs with the losses, Molitor said. Impressive run continues. Hitting streaks alive.TRAINERS ROOMTigers: 2B Ian Kinsler (concussion) had an on-field workout and could be cleared to play Friday if he feels well after the workout.Twins: DH/3B Miguel Sano (lower back tightness) was back in the lineup for the first time since Sept. 12. Molitor said Sano was still sore but was anxious to return. ... Molitor confirmed RHP Trevor May has a stress fracture in his back. May was 2-2 with a 5.27 ERA in 44 relief appearances. He made three trips to the DL with the injury, which hadnt been detected in previous exams.UP NEXTTigers: RHP Michael Fulmer (10-7) is to start Friday against Kansas City LHP Danny Duffy (12-2) in the opener of Detroits final homestand. Fulmer has lost four of his last six decisions and is 0-2 against Kansas City this season despite a 2.75 ERA in three starts.Twins: RHP Kyle Gibson (6-10) is slated to make his final home start of the season on Friday against Seattle, which will start LHP James Paxton (4-7). Cheap Air Max 720 Canada . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. Air Max 720 Discount . -- Five former Kansas City Chiefs players who were on the team between 1987 and 1993 filed a lawsuit Tuesday claiming the team hid and even lied about the risks of head injuries during that time period when there was no collective bargaining agreement in place in the NFL. http://www.cheapairmax720canada.com/ . LOUIS -- Rookie Tavon Austin has missed another day of practice, lessening the odds hell be ready for the St. Air Max 720 For Sale . The 15th-ranked Canadian men lost the opening two games of their European tour: 19-15 to No. 17 Georgia and 21-20 to No. Air Max 720 Canada . -- Patrick Reed got an early start in golf. CHICAGO -- The Texas Rangers started the second half of the season the way they ended the first, struggling to get back to the form that has given them the best record in the American League.The Chicago Cubs beat Texas 6-0 on Friday, handing the Rangers their eighth loss in 10 games -- and their third straight going back to before the All-Star break.Addison Russells two-run single keyed a five-run sixth inning for the Cubs, and Kyle Hendricks (8-6) combined with four relievers to hold the Rangers to five hits.While the Cubs sixth-inning outburst chased Rangers starter Martin Perez (7-6), Texas manager Jeff Banister said his clubs pitching wasnt the problem -- it was the pitching performance by the Cubs Hendricks.He was extremely stingy with the middle part of the plate today, Banister said. We couldnt get anything off the barrel.One of the Cubs runs in the sixth came on a throwing error by Prince Fielder, in a rare start at first base due to interleague play.The sixth inning got away from us, Banister said. I felt like Martin was still making good pitches, still had life on his pitches. We just didnt help him out.Perez said the Rangers werent worried by the recent slump. Despite the loss, Texas (54-37) still has the most wins in the AL.We just have to go back tomorrow and stay focused and find a way to go back to winning, Perez said.The Cubs are trying to come out of their own slump, winning for just the seventh time in 22 games. Cubs manager Joe Maddon said Hendricks emergence as a solid starter has been key as aces Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester have struggled.Kyles one of the best pitchers in the National League right now and nobody is talking about it, Maddon said.Carl Edwards Jr. struck out two in a perfect seventh and Travis Wood, Pedro Strop and Justin Grimm combined for the final six outs in Chicagos eighth shutout.The Cubs, who entered percentage points ahead of Texas for the second-best record in the majors behind San Francisco, had seven hits on an unseasonably cool, drizzly day with the wind blowing in.The breeze kept Anthony Rizzos drive to right in the park in the sixth thatt helped load the bases and extend his hitting streak to 10 games.dddddddddddd Two batters later Russell came through.We played poorly the last three weeks or so and showed our vulnerability and humanity as a team, Cubs president Theo Epstein said. In the long run that might be a good thing because it means we know how hard we have to work and how well we have to play to get where we want to go.TRAINERS ROOMRangers: LHP Jake Diekman, who cut his left index finger on a beer mug earlier this month in Boston, was placed on the 15-day disabled list. Its retroactive to July 6. ... RHP Keone Kela (elbow) was activated. ... LF Shin-Soo Choo (back) was out of the lineup. Ryan Rua replaced him, while Odor led off.Cubs: OF Dexter Fowler (hamstring) isnt expected back before the end of next week. ... C David Ross was activated off the seven-day concussion list. ... RHP Trevor Cahill (right knee tendinitis) was placed on the 15-day DL. ... OF Jorge Soler (hamstring) could start a rehab assignment soon. ... RHP Adam Warren returned to the bullpen, but could make another spot start.PEREZS HITPerez recorded his first major league hit with a swinging bunt toward third base in the second. He had been 0 for 9. Im not a fast guy, I just hit the ball and I looked at third base and I just said, `Hes far from the ball, said Perez, who was charged with five runs in 5 2/3 innings.FORMER RANGERS HURT OLD CLUBFour of the Cubs pitchers were formerly in the Rangers organization. Strop made his major league debut with the team in 2010 while Edwards, Grimm and Hendricks were all drafted by Texas. Banister said he didnt think much about what might have been had the club held on to Hendricks. I dont covet other teams players, Banister said. Hes a solid player for the Chicago Cubs... I like the players we got.UP NEXTRangers RHP Yu Darvish (2-0, 2.87 ERA) returns from the disabled list and starts Saturday against Cubs RHP Jason Hammel (7-5, 3.46). Darvish is expected to throw 85-90 pitches. ' ' '