DETROIT -- After only 86 pitches, Minnesotas Phil Hughes left the game with a shutout in progress. Cheap Soccer Jerseys . Afterward, he not only endorsed the move, but said he helped his manager make the decision. "Every pitcher has a certain amount of pride. In the seventh, I felt like my stuff and location were deteriorating," Hughes said. "You dont want to give the game away just because youre feeling prideful." Hughes pitched seven innings, and the Twins beat Justin Verlander for the first time in over four years, 2-1 on Friday night. Kurt Suzuki hit a two-run single off Verlander in the seventh. Hughes (4-1) allowed eight hits in his fourth consecutive win, but he was fine letting the bullpen take over for the final two innings. "The catcher and him both said, Hes losing it," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "If a pitcher feels that hes losing it off the ball and starting to misfire, then youve got to take him out of the ballgame. Him being honest there allowed us to get our bullpen up going." Casey Fien pitched the eighth, and Glen Perkins allowed a run in the ninth but held on for his ninth save in 10 chances. Verlander allowed two runs and seven hits in seven innings. He struck out five and walked two. The start of the game was delayed 27 minutes by rain, but the teams played through an emergency alarm that went off in the top of the ninth. The Tigers later said there was a mechanical fire in a janitor closet that was quickly contained and put out. "I almost took off running," Detroit outfielder Torii Hunter joked. "Im thinking biohazardous or something." Players paused briefly, then the game went on. The injury-plagued Twins snapped a three-game losing streak. Star first baseman Joe Mauer sat out a fifth straight game. Hes been dealing with back spasms. Alex Avila hit an RBI double off Perkins with one out in the ninth, but pinch-hitter J.D. Martinez popped out and Rajai Davis struck out to end it. Hughes lost 14 games last season for the New York Yankees, but the right-hander has pitched well after signing with the Twins in the off-season. He struck out Avila with men on first and third in the fourth, and got Miguel Cabrera to fly out with two on and two out in the fifth. Hughes struck out three, and he went a third straight start without a walk. He began this game with 13 straight strikes. "They werent all strikes in the zone. They were hacking," Hughes said. "When youre around the plate and pop a fastball up every now and then, theyre going to be aggressive and swinging at it. Thats kind of what I am. Sometimes it hurts me a little bit if Im around the plate too much, but when I have good stuff, its usually all right." Verlander (4-2) escaped jams in the second and third, but he couldnt retire Suzuki with the game on the line in the seventh. It was his first loss in his last 10 decisions against the Twins. The last time they beat him was April 27, 2010. "Pretty good for the first six innings, but I wasnt great in the seventh," Verlander said. "I had a couple inexcusable pitches. It wasnt that I made mistakes, but I got away from the pitches I wanted to throw." In addition to Mauer, Minnesota is also without outfielder Josh Willingham, who has a left wrist contusion, but the Twins were able to beat the Tigers without any extra-base hits. NOTES: It began to rain hard in the top of the fifth, but there were no more weather delays once the game started. ... Detroits Victor Martinez had his hitting streak snapped at 11 games. ... The Tigers transferred the injury rehab assignment of RHP Luke Putkonen (right elbow) from Class A West Michigan to Triple-A Toledo. ... Detroits Max Scherzer (4-1) faces Minnesotas Kyle Gibson (3-2) on Saturday. Fake Soccer Jerseys . LeBron James believes hes a major reason for their early failures. Wholesale Soccer Jerseys China . The Arena das Dunas in the northeastern city of Natal sustained minor damage during the protests, but demonstrators stayed away on Sunday and officials said the stadium passed its first test, with only minor adjustments needed going forward. https://www.soccerjerseyschina.us/ . In this space, I will be writing new and unique pieces about the team that you wont be able to find anywhere else. So naturally, in an attempt to come up with a fresh topic about the Ottawa Senators, I am going to start with a piece about their goaltending.Tottenham kept up the pressure on Leicester with an emphatic 4-0 win over Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium on Monday night. The result keeps their title hopes alive but with Mauricio Pochettino at the helm of this young squad, the long-term prospects are equally encouraging, writes Adam Bate. Leicester City are having the season of their lives. The annus mirabilis. The perfect storm. But whatever anybody is calling it, nobody is in a rush to suggest it will happen again. For second-placed Tottenham, theres a growing feeling that the situation is rather different.Ive said it a lot this season that this is an unbelievable chance for Spurs to win a title and this chance may not come again, said Jamie Carragher on Monday Night Football. But I think I may be wrong. The more I watch them, the more I think this chance might come again. I was expecting Spurs to go back to being challenging for top four, but the more I watch this team, I think in terms of years to come, this is going to be a side thats challenging for the title. Such talk is enough to get Tottenham fans giddy. But the logic is sound.For while seven of Leicesters favoured starting line-up this season have already turned 29 years old, thats the age of Spurs senior man - goalkeeper and captain Hugo Lloris. Not a single outfield player in their squad has celebrated that particular birthday just yet. Leicester and Tottenham age comparison Age Leicester Tottenham Age 29 Kasper Schmeichel Hugo Lloris 29 29 Danny Simpson Kyle Walker 25 30 Christian Fuchs Danny Rose 25 32 Wes Morgan Toby Alderweireld 27 31 Robert Huth Jan Vertonghen 28 25 NGolo Kante Eric Dier 22 26 Danny Drinkwater Mousa Dembele 28 25 Riyad Mahrez Christian Eriksen 24 26 Marc Albrighton Erik Lamela 24 30 Shinji Okazaki Dele Alli 20 29 Jamie Vardy Harry Kane 22 Stoke manager Mark Hughes described Tottenham as an outstanding side That in itself can bring a certain exuberance. They were quicker to everything, said Stoke boss Mark Hughes after seeing his side dismantled. But its not just the youth and dynamism of Mauricio Pochettinos side thats proving so impressive. Its the discipline. Its the quality.Tottenham might well be the best coached team in the Premier League and theyre playing football to excite. The league table is no liar, of course, but the underlying data is there to support the story and its telling quite the tale. Pochettinos Tottenham are top on many Premier League metrics this season They are the top goalscorers in the division with 64 goals, having created more chances than any other side (449). And yet, theyve also conceded the fewest goals, having let in only 25 at the other end. Its a combination only Spurs can boast in Englands professional leagues.Whats more, theres momentum too. Thirteen of the last 14 goals scored in Spurs games have been by them. If Leicester are all about getting over the line, Spurs are just getting better. This is a team now freed from cup distractions and powering towards the finish. Jamie Carragher believes Tottenham are more than capable of winning titles Harry Kane and Dele Alli took the headlines on Monday and Carragher understandably called them superstars for their contributions. Soccer Jerseys China. Kane tops the scoring charts, while theres no younger player in Europes biggest four leagues with as many goals or assists as Alli.But everywhere around the pitch there are success stories. Kyle Walker and Danny Rose provide the energy on the flanks - they produced more than 70 high-intensity sprints each against Stoke - while fellow England international Eric Dier is there to drop back and cover.In the centre of defence, the Belgian pairing of Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld have impressed, with the latter arguably the finest centre-back in the country this season. Ahead of them in midfield, compatriot Mousa Dembele has been a statistical sensation.Dembele ranks fourth in the league for both dribbles and tackles - an unusual combination that hints at his all-round skillset. There was even a rare assist at Stoke and the visiting fans made a mockery of the suggestion that hes an unsung hero by chanting his name repeatedly. Patrick Davison was joined by Andy Hinchcliffe to discuss Tottenhams 4-0 victory Christian Eriksen is Spurs playmaker supreme, with only Mesut Ozil having created more chances this season, and the Dane showed remarkable vision to pick out Alli for the second goal of the night. Meanwhile, Erik Lamela is in the form of his White Hart Lane career.The Argentine laid on Kanes second and its clear that both men have fused application with talent - Eriksen in covering more ground than anyone (12.2 kilometres), Lamela in making more sprints (82). Its testament not only to their hard work but the work of the manager. Harry Kane feels the teams 4-0 win over Stoke was a statement of intent Sometimes when youre picking a player of the match for Spurs, it could be five or six of them because its all about the team, added Carragher. The man who should get most of the credit is the manager, because what hes created here is something very special.What Pochettino has created is a culture, and that can be far more powerful than mere personnel. It can endure even when players are replaced. And it can win titles. The Spurs fans at the Britannia Stadium on Monday evening are sensing one might not be far away. Pochettino says his Tottenham side are still fighting for the title Leicester City, were coming for you, they chanted, with increasing gusto as the goals went in. Theres no denying that pipping the Foxes to the Premier League crown should be the primary focus right now. But Tottenham can look beyond that too.For while its true that the big guns will be adding to their arsenal in the summer, its apparent that Arsenal and the rest are the ones now playing catch up. Those same Spurs fan know it too. Arsene Wenger, we want you to stay, they sang. Leicester and Tottenham are going head-to-head for the Premier League title Of course, theyll want Pochettino to stay too but then why would he leave? Everything is there for Tottenham, added Carragher. Hes got to try to win a lot of trophies with this team because theyre very capable.Capable and hungry. Were not going to stop, Alli told Sky Sports after the game. Thats a worry for Leicester City right now. But in the longer term, it should be a worry for each and every other team hoping to win a Premier League title any time soon too. Also See: Carra: Why would Pochettino leave? WATCH: Cesc rooting for Leicester ' ' '