Tigers 4, Twins 2: Victor Martinez and Miguel Cabrera homered while Max Scherzer won his 18th game as host Detroit inched closer to its fourth straight American League Central title.

Scherzer (18-5) won his sixth straight decision against Minnesota after striking out nine, and allowing two runs and five hits while matching a season high with four walks in six innings as the Tigers maintained their two-game lead over Kansas City with three to play. Rajai Davis added an RBI double and Joakim Soria and Joba Chamberlain each pitched a perfect inning before Joe Nathan worked a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his 34th save in 41 opportunities.

Joe Mauer returned to the lineup and produced a two-run double for the Twins, who had a two-game winning streak snapped. Trevor May (3-6) lost his second straight start after permitting three runs and five hits while striking out seven in six innings.

Torii Hunter delivered a one-out double in the first before Martinez (three hits) launched a 1-2 hanging curveball over the wall in right for his 32nd home run with two out. Cabrera extended the lead to 3-0 by going up to get an 0-2 offering and sending it out to left-center for his 24th homer while leading off the fourth.

Minnesota cut into the deficit in the fifth as Danny Santana and Brian Dozier reached on two-out singles and Mauer followed by slicing a low-and-inside pitch into the left-center gap. Detroit added an insurance run in the seventh on Davis' double after Alex Avila led off with a single.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Hunter went 1-for-4 and is 18-for-48 during his 11-game hitting streak. ... Mauer left Tuesday's game against Arizona after being hit by a pitch on the right elbow and did not play Wednesday. ... The teams have split 16 meetings this season as the Twins bid for their first season series victory over the Tigers since 2009, going 0-3-1 since.