take that

Detroit’s road to clinching a playoff berth went through Minnesota’s Target Field on Monday. Southern Miss product Brian Dozier threw up a roadblock. Dozier’s ninth-inning home run, his 18th of the year, tied the score and he crossed the plate with the game-winning run in the 11th as the Twins beat the Tigers 4-3. Detroit’s magic number to clinch a playoff spot in the American League remains at 1, its number for claiming the Central Division at 2. Dozier, finishing strong for a team long out of contention, has 13 hits in his last eight games. He is batting .248 and has 65 RBIs. Former Ole Miss standout Alex Presley (two hits on Monday) also has been playing well for Minnesota, putting up a .286 average with eight RBIs and seven runs in 22 games since joining the club in a late July trade. Both Dozier, a second baseman, and Presley, an outfielder, have an eye on securing jobs for next season — and producing against a contender like Detroit certainly doesn’t hurt.