DETROIT - After allowing two runs in the first inning, Scott Diamond shut down the streaking Detroit Tigers.
It turned out the damage was done.
Doug Fister pitched seven scoreless innings in another terrific start for Detroit, outdueling Diamond and leading the Tigers to a 2-1 win over the Minnesota Twins on Sunday.
Diamond (1-4) allowed two runs, one earned, and seven hits in six innings. The rookie left-hander struck out four, walked four and got little support from his offense.
''All I can do is keep pitching,'' Diamond said. ''I'm up here to succeed, and to pitch that well against a great offense like Detroit is going to give me a lot of confidence going forward.''
The AL Central-leading Tigers have won nine straight for the first time since 1984, when Detroit won the World Series.
Fister (8-13) allowed three hits, struck out five and walked two. Joaquin Benoit pitched the eighth, and Jose Valverde allowed a run in the ninth but held on for his 43rd save in 43 chances.
The Twins have lost eight of nine.
Detroit scored both of its runs in the first. Austin Jackson, Magglio Ordonez and Delmon Young started with consecutive singles for a 1-0 lead, then second baseman Matt Tolbert misplayed a potential double-play grounder by Miguel Cabrera for an error. Victor Martinez did bounce into a double play, but another run came home.
Martinez ended up hitting into four double plays, becoming the first player to do that since Joe Torre on July 21, 1975, for the New York Mets against Houston, according to STATS LLC.
Martinez grounded into double plays in his first three at-bats, then came up with a man on first in the eighth and hit a line drive that was caught by Chris Parmelee, the first baseman. After diving toward first to make the catch, Parmelee simply reached out and touched the base to double off the runner.
''I felt like high-fiving Victor - he was making outs like crazy for us,'' Twins manager Ron Gardenhire joked. ''Apparently, it takes a great hitter to make eight outs in one game, because I've never seen anything like that. Even he looked like he was laughing after the line drive for the fourth one. If I were Victor, I'd probably go home and have a glass of ... orange juice. Maybe even with something else in it.''
Valverde allowed a walk to Joe Mauer and a single to Luke Hughes to start the ninth. Parmelee flied out to shallow left, and pinch-hitter Jason Kubel drove in a run with a groundout to first, moving the tying run into scoring position.
When Rene Tosoni struck out swinging to end it, the always-demonstrative Valverde dropped briefly to a knee before getting up, pumping his fist.
''We got close in the ninth, but you need someone to put a good swing on the ball in that situation,'' Gardenhire said. ''We got a couple people on, and then we just couldn't get one more big hit.''
The Tigers travel to Chicago for a three-game series with the White Sox. They'll send Rick Porcello (13-8) to the mound tonight against John Danks (6-11).
Minnesota's next game is Tuesday night at Kansas City. Carl Pavano (8-11) will start for the Twins against Bruce Chen (10-7).
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