Tigers beat Indians 6-2, take 2 of 3 to claim 1st  —  DETROIT - Jhonny Peralta and Ryan Raburn hit back-to-back, solo homers in the fourth inning, and the Detroit Tigers went on to beat the Cleveland Indians 6-2 Thursday.  —  The Tigers won twice in the three-game series to move a game ahead of Cleveland in the AL Central.

Nishioka batting third for Twins in Target Field debut  —  Tsuyoshi Nishioka is batting third for the Twins today, and playing shortstop, for his Target Field debut.  —  Instead of moving Ben Revere and Alexi Casilla out of the top two spots in the lineup, Manager Ron Gardenhire has decided to slot Nishioka behind them.

Mitt Romney, Red Sox fan, didn't know the Rays have a dome  —  Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney is hosting a fund raiser in downtown Tampa, Florida on Thursday and decided to kill some time by taking in the Red Sox vs. Rays game Wednesday night at Tropicana Field.

Rangers catcher accuses Yanks of stealing signs  —  NEW YORK — Yankees outfielder Andruw Jones was accused by Texas Rangers catcher Yorvit Torrealba of stealing signs and giving pitch locations to hitters from second base during the fifth inning of Wednesday night's 12-4 New York win.

Nelson: Phillips a hit on Twitter  —  Cincinnati Reds second baseman using Twitter to connect with fans — and on the field  —  GLENDALE, Ariz. — It's a Friday afternoon in late March, and Rachel and Dave Zahniser sit nervously in a hotel lobby, their eyes darting, looking to the door constantly.

The Nationals and the illusion of contention  —  The Nationals this season have scored 263 runs and have allowed 262.  Stated differently: In the most efficient measure of a team, the Nationals are a smidge better than even (and they have the same 34-34 Pythagorean record as the Giants.)

Jimenez Remains Upbeat Considering Struggles  —  DENVER (AP) — Ubaldo Jimenez strolls around the clubhouse with a carefree attitude even if he's smoldering inside.  —  The Colorado Rockies All-Star pitcher is baffled by his puzzling plunge in production this season, a slump that's tested his usually easygoing demeanor.

Jeremy Guthrie leaves game with a back strain  —  Orioles starter was having a nice day against the Blue Jays.  He had five shutout innings under his belt with five strikeouts, but then he had to leave the game with a strained back.  Updates will come later.

Pirates' Snyder and wife in Banksville road rage  —  A Good Samaritan helped subdue a man who police said attacked the wife of injured Pirates catcher Chris Snyder at a Banksville gas station Wednesday afternoon even as the man struggled, bit him and threw a shoe in his direction.

Daniels willing to deal for 'pen help  —  NEW YORK — Rangers general manager Jon Daniels talked late Wednesday night with manager Ron Washington about their bullpen.  Right now all they can do is talk.  —  Daniels is looking for ways to improve their bullpen, including having active discussions …

Angels cut ties with Scott Kazmir  —  Once-promising left-hander acquired in a trade with Tampa Bay in 2009 could not overcome control problems on the mound.  Club will eat the remainder of his $14.5-million contract for this season.  —  Reporting from Seattle — The Scott Kazmir error came …

On WFAN: Sandy Alderson ‘Pleased And Gratified’ With Mets' Play  —  NEW YORK (WFAN) - After beating the Braves on Wednesday, the Mets are at .500 for the first time in almost a month, a record that has general manager Sandy Alderson “pleased and gratified.”  —  “I'm not surprised …

Bumgarner Strong, Giants Beat D-Backs Again 5-2  —  PHOENIX (AP) — Madison Bumgarner went six innings and got enough run support for a change, helping him pitch the San Francisco Giants past the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-2 Wednesday night.  —  Bill Hall singled home the go-ahead run in the sixth …

Soriano advised to rest before resuming rehab  —  NEW YORK — Yankees right-hander Rafael Soriano is getting closer to continuing a throwing program, but he has been advised to rest until next week.  —  Manager Joe Girardi said that Soriano threw on Tuesday and seemed better …

Paul, Walker Propel Pirates to 7-3 Win Over Astros  —  HOUSTON (AP) — Pinch-hitter Xavier Paul doubled, then stayed in the game and hit a two-run homer and single Wednesday night as the Pittsburgh Pirates moved over .500 with a 7-3 win over the Houston Astros.

Gorzelanny likely to return to Nats on Sunday  —  WASHINGTON — The Nationals optioned right-hander Yunesky Maya to Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday, a day after his fourth start in place of Tom Gorzelanny.  The Nationals will likely activate Gorzelanny from the 15-day disabled list Sunday for his start.