DETROIT -- The Minnesota Twins had a nice strategy for facing Kyle Lobstein, and the Detroit Tigers left-hander pitched right into it.

"We went in with a game plan," Twins' right fielder Torii Hunter said. "We wanted to make him get the ball up and give us something we could handle."

It worked.

Hunter smacked a second-inning home run, and the Twins exploded for five runs off the Lobstein in the second inning, keyed by a Joe Mauer bases-loaded triple, to earn a 6-2 victory over the Tigers on Wednesday night and their 10th win in 13 games.

Minnesota, which scored just one unearned run in its first three games of the season in Comerica Park, could tie the Tigers for second place in the American League Central with a victory in Thursday's series finale.

Lobstein (3-3) pitched from ahead in the count in a 1-2-3 second but kept falling behind hitters in the third and had to come in with hittable pitches in the heart of the strike zone. He allowed seven hits and six runs in 2 1/3 innings while walking one and striking out one.

"Pitchers like Lobstein have given us problems in the past," Minnesota manager Paul Molitor said. "They take advantage of the aggressiveness of our young hitters. But we've been able to slow it down against them recently."

Right-hander Ricky Nolasco took advantage of the big early lead, getting anxious Detroit hitters to chase his curveball. Nolasco (3-1) won his third consecutive game by lasting 5 1/3 innings and allowing two unearned runs on four hits with three walks and seven strikeouts.

"I wanted to go deeper into the game," Nolasco said, "but I wasn't efficient enough. But I look at it as a step in the right direction."

Left-hander Aaron Thompson (two-thirds of an inning), right-hander Michael Tonkin (one inning), lefty Brian Duensing (one-third), right-hander Blaine Boyer (two-thirds) and southpaw Glen Perkins (one inning) finished up.

Detroit is going through trying times on offense, and a lot of it has to do with facing right-handed pitchers who can keep the ball away from them.

"Yeah, we're a right-handed lineup. There's no secret there," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "We're a right-handed lineup, so right-handed pitchers are going to give us problems -- especially if they have a breaking ball.

"Usually that's what causes problems for right-handers more than anything else. A right-hander's changeup usually isn't an issue for a right-handed lineup, it's the breaking balls. We are a right-handed lineup, but we have some pretty good right-handed hitters."

Minnesota second baseman Brian Dozier collected three hits, and catcher Kurt Suzuki and center fielder Aaron Hicks each added two hits.

Right fielder J.D. Martinez, third baseman Nick Castellanos and shortstop Jose Iglesias had two hits apiece for Detroit, which left 10 runners on base.

"Well, we just can't get the big hit, you know?" Ausmus said. "Joe Mauer got the big hit for them with the bases loaded. We haven't been able to get that big hit, whether it's a three-run homer or three-run double. We just haven't been able to get that to open the floodgates."

Hicks led off the third with a single up the middle, and shortstop Danny Santana lined a single to right. Right fielder Torii Hunter walked, and Mauer hit a three-run triple to deep right-center.

Third baseman Trevor Plouffe tripled home Mauer to make it 5-0, and Suzuki doubled home Plouffe, ending Lobstein's outing.

In the first, Hunter opened the scoring with his sixth home run, a solo shot.

The Tigers knocked out Nolasco in the sixth. Second baseman Ian Kinsler singled, first baseman Miguel Cabrera walked, and pinch hitter Rajai Davis reached when Dozier bobbled his grounder for an error.

Thompson relieved and gave up a sacrifice fly to left fielder Yoenis Cespedes and an RBI single to left by Castellanos before retiring the side.

"I don't look at the numbers too much," Cabrera said of his team's hitting struggles. "I guess I can't say something about it. I think the most important thing is we go out there and try.

"We don't have to worry about the stats because they're going to get into your head. You have to go out there and do your job.

"Everybody looks like we're in last place. We're OK."

NOTES: C Alex Avila was assigned a treatment program that will allow him to avoid surgery on his bad left knee and return to action at an undetermined point this season, the Tigers announced. Dr. Kyle Anderson observed an enhanced MRI on Avila's knee and worked out the program. ... The Twins improved to 12-4 against left-handed starters. ... Detroit put in some time before batting practice going over bunt defense and working on pickoffs. After Thursday's game, the Tigers go to St. Louis, where pitchers will bat because the designated hitter is not used. ... Twins broadcaster Bert Blyleven, who took some heat for critical comments about Detroit during Minnesota's last visit, did not accompany the team for the current series.