MLB ROUNDUP \ Thursday's other games

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Tigers 7, Twins 2
MINNEAPOLIS -- Justin Verlander gave up one run in seven innings, helping Detroit extended its AL Central lead to five games over the second-place Twins. Verlander (16-7) struck out five and walked two, allowing a seventh-inning homer to Michael Cuddyer. Detroit, which once led by 10 games, is a mere 10-18 since Aug. 7 Curtis Granderson hit a tone-setting homer on the third pitch of the night by Scott Baker (4-8), and Marcus Thames took him deep in the second, a two-run shot that put Detroit up 3-0. Joe Mauer, clinging to the AL batting lead, went 1-for-4 and saw his average drop to .3444, just ahead of the Yankees' Derek Jeter (.3439).
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Phillies 14, Marlins 8
MIAMI -- Florida's bid for back-to-back no-hitters ended in the first inning, and Ryan Howard's 54th home run -- his 10th in 15 games -- helped Philadelphia rally for the victory. Chris Coste, Chase Utley and Jeff Conine also homered, and Philadelphia overcame a 3-0 deficit against Josh Johnson (12-7) to win the opener of a four-game series. The Phillies and Marlins play 10 times in the final 31/2 weeks of the season, and they began the night tied, three games behind San Diego, the NL wild card leader Florida's Anibal Sanchez threw a no-hitter Wednesday against Arizona, but Johnson's no-hit bid lasted only until the third batter, when Utley singled. Jon Lieber (7-9) won despite allowing first-inning homers to Miguel Cabrera and Mike Jacobs. Lieber allowed four runs and seven hits in 51/3 innings. Phillies closer Tom Gordon, sidelined since Aug. 12 with a strained right shoulder, pitched the ninth.
Mets 7, Dodgers 0
NEW YORK -- Tom Glavine (13-6) won for the first time since Aug. 5, and Jose Reyes flew around the bases for his first career inside-the-park home run. In his first Shea Stadium outing since before a blood clot in his pitching arm sidelined him for two weeks, Glavine yielded five hits but no walks in 61/3 innings and earned his 288th major league victory -- but just his fourth in 14 starts dating to June 18. New York hasn't allowed a run in 25 innings and cut its magic number for winning its first NL East title since 1988 to seven. Los Angeles has lost four of five following a seven-game winning streak and saw its NL West lead shrink to just a half-game over idle San Diego. Brad Penny (15-8) gave up seven runs and 10 hits in 52/3 innings, dropping to 1-8 at Shea.
Associated Press
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