By AP
MINNEAPOLIS – Leadoff man Denard Span was the catalyst for Minnesota with three singles and a walk, and the Twins beat the Detroit Tigers 5-4 on Wednesday for their first sweep in nine series this season.
The crowd at Target Field held a moment of silence before the game in honor of former Tigers broadcaster Ernie Harwell, who died Tuesday night. Detroit's uniforms had a black, circular "EH" patch on the sleeves.
Span scored on Justin Morneau's double in the first inning against sputtering Tigers starter Rick Porcello. After taking a 2-0 lead, the Twins became the first major league team to score at least two runs in the first inning of six straight games since the 1971 New York Yankees did so seven consecutive times. The Twins have outscored their opponents 28-13 in the first inning this year.