(Sports Network) - The Minnesota Twins may be getting hot at the right time. Today, they go for their fourth straight win and a three-game sweep of the Cleveland Indians at the Metrodome.

Minnesota picked up a game on the Detroit Tigers in the AL Central on Tuesday, as Nick Punto finished 3-for-4 with two runs driven in, while Joe Mauer went 2-for-3 with an RBI to raise his MLB-best batting average to .373 to lead the Twins to a 5-4 victory.

Orlando Cabrera added a solo homer, while Brian Buscher also drove in a run for Minnesota, which now trails Detroit by 4 1/2 games in the division. The Tigers will visit the Metrodome for a three-game set this weekend.

"We need everybody," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Tonight, a lot of guys stepped up and got it done."

The victory, of course, came one day after the team received the news that former AL MVP Justin Morneau would be lost for the remainder of the season with a stress fracture in his back.

"I think it kind of woke up a lot of guys that probably didn't get as much playing time while [Morneau] was in there," said Joe Nathan, who picked up his 40th save of the season. "We know guys are going to have to step up...Maybe it's a blessing in disguise by that happening, and guys are starting to wake up."

Scott Baker, who had beaten the Indians four times this season, yielded three runs on five hits and two walks in 5 1/3 innings and didn't factor into the decision. Jon Rauch (3-1) received the win for 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief.

"It's been awhile (since I had 40 saves)," Nathan added. "It feels good. These guys -- it's been an up and down year, but we're grinding. We're trying to get through this grind and get back in this race, trying to put some pressure on Detroit."

Jamey Carroll went 2-for-4 with a run scored, while Matt LaPorta hit a solo homer and drove in two runs for the Indians, who have lost seven of eight. Fausto Carmona (3-11) yielded five runs on nine hits in 5 1/3 innings to absorb the loss.

"It's not about anybody else or any other team, it's about us and about us getting better," LaPorta said about the team playing spoiler the rest of the way. "Like I said, it doesn't matter about the wins and losses, it matters about your team coming out and playing hard every game."

Heading to the hill for the Twins today will be righty Nick Blackburn, who is 9-11 with a 4.39 earned run average. Blackburn lost for the seventh time in his last eight decisions on Friday against Oakland, which battered him for six runs and six hits in three innings.

Blackburn has lost to the Tribe the last three times he has faced them and is 4-3 lifetime against them with a 3.00 ERA in 10 games, eight of which have been starts.

Cleveland, meanwhile, will counter with lefty Aaron Laffey, who is winless in his last four starts. Laffey suffered his second straight loss in his last trip to the hill on September 8 against Texas, as he surrendered seven runs (six earned) and 12 hits in 3 1/3 innings, dropping him to 7-5 to go along with a 3.79 ERA.

Laffey is 4-1 in seven starts versus the Twins with a 4.05 ERA.

Minnesota has won nine of its 17 meetings with the Tribe this season.



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