Tigers avoid sweep, gain breathing room

Placido Polanco drove in three runs, Detroit’s bullpen pitched four shutout innings and the Tigers avoided a three-game sweep with a 6-2 win against the Minnesota Twins on Sunday to increase their AL Central lead to three games.

Ryan Raburn homered for slumping Detroit, which won for the second time in six games and fourth in 13.

Minnesota, which had won six straight, got two hits from Joe Mauer, who increased his batting average to a major league-best .374.

The teams meet again for four games in Detroit beginning Sept. 28.