Tigers 1, Twins 0: Max Scherzer outdueled Kevin Correia and Torii Hunter singled in the lone run as visiting Detroit clinched the American League Central.

Scherzer (21-3) struck out 10 and allowed two hits while scattering six walks in seven innings to increase his major-league lead in wins. The right-hander is set up to start Game 1 of the playoffs for the Tigers, who are celebrating their third straight AL Central crown.

Correia (9-13) yielded just the one run on seven hits in seven innings as the Twins fell for the 16th time in the last 21 games.

Detroit scratched out its run in the first inning, when Austin Jackson led off the game with a triple to right and scored on Hunter’s single. Minnesota did not manage a hit until Chris Parmelee’s two-out single in the fourth and stranded runners in scoring position in four of the first seven innings.

Jose Veras and Drew Smyly combined on the eighth inning and Joaquin Benoit worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his 24th save.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Hunter went 2-for-4 and was 8-for-15 in the three-game series against his former team. … The Tigers are making their third straight trip to the playoffs for the first time since losing the World Series in three straight years from 1907-1909. … Minnesota gets one last chance to influence the postseason race when it hosts the Cleveland Indians in the start of a four-game series on Thursday. Detroit gets Thursday off before finishing at Miami.