DETROIT (AP) – Michael Cuddyer hit the first pitch of the 11th inning into the left-field seats and the Minnesota Twins beat Detroit 5-4 Friday night, putting the Tigers one defeat from tying the modern-day record for losses.

Lew Ford’s double gave Minnesota a 4-3 lead in the 10th, but the suddenly scrappy Tigers, who had won three straight, tied it in on Shane Halter’s RBI single.

Eddie Guardado (3-5) blew a save in the 10th, but earned the win after Cuddyer’s fourth homer off Franklyn German (2-4). LaTroy Hawkins pitched the 11th for his second save.

The Twins had won a season-high 11 in a row before losing to Detroit in 11 innings Thursday.

In the 10th, Justin Morneau drew a two-out walk against Chris Spurling and Ford followed with a drive to the fence in left-center to give Minnesota a 4-3 lead.

But the Tigers came right back and tied it as Dmitri Young hit a leadoff double, pinch-runner Andres Torres stole third and scored on Halter’s single to left. Halter then stole second, but Guardado struck out Warren Morris to end the inning.

The Twins had chances to build leads in the fourth, sixth and seventh innings, but Nate Cornejo got out of each jam with inning-ending double plays.

Young’s 29th homer, which landed between Comerica Park’s old and new left-field fences, put the Tigers ahead 3-2 in the fifth.

A.J. Pierzynski’s RBI single tied it at 3 in the sixth, but Minnesota failed to take the lead because Cuddyer ended a two-on, one-out threat by hitting into a double play.

Minnesota started eight of its regulars after resting most of them for two games after clinching its second straight AL Central title Tuesday. But by the top of the seventh, most of the everyday players were taken out. Doug Mientkiewicz, who has a sore left wrist, was the only regular rested Friday.

Both starters – Minnesota’s Eric Milton and Cornejo – gave up three runs on eight hits and struck out one.

Milton had one walk and one strikeout over five innings. Milton, who missed most of the year following knee surgery, is expected to come out of the bullpen in the AL division series against the New York Yankees.

Cornejo, winless in his last six starts, walked four over seven innings.

Rick Reed threw two perfect innings against the Tigers and Kenny Rogers gave up one hit in the eighth.

Young’s RBI single and Carlos Pena’s sacrifice fly gave Detroit a 2-0 lead in the first.

The Twins tied it in the fourth when Corey Koskie and Cuddyer hit RBI singles.

Notes: An announced crowd of 16,518 attended the game. … Twins third-base coach Al Newman was released from a Chicago hospital and returned to his home Friday, 16 days after he suffered a brain hemorrhage before a game against the White Sox. … Minnesota’s Rob Bowen got his first major league hit in the eighth. … Pierzynski hit his career-high 34th double in the second.

AP-ES-09-26-03 2235EDT