Minneapolis ? Jim Leyland has perfected the level head, in his 15th season as a major league manager.

Detroit’s once-staggering lead in the division race has dwindled, but the Tigers are following Leyland’s example and trying to keep their cool down the stretch.

“I’ll panic when my kid flunks math,” Leyland deadpanned in his raspy voice after Justin Verlander pitched the Tigers past Minnesota 7-2 Thursday night to extend their AL Central lead to five games over the second-place Twins.

Verlander gave up one run in seven innings for the Tigers, who once led the division by 10 games but are a mere 10-18 since Aug. 7.

“It’s nice to get a win under your belt, but we’re smart enough to know that this thing is going to go back and forth to the end,” Leyland said. “That’s what a pennant race is all about.”

Curtis Granderson hit a tone-setting homer on the third pitch of the night against Scott Baker (4-8), and Marcus Thames took him deep in the second, a two-run shot that put Detroit up 3-0.

Verlander (16-7) didn’t need any more support, but he received a two-run single by Craig Monroe in the fifth inning and a home run by Ivan Rodriguez in the seventh off Matt Guerrier.

Detroit's sean casey, left, congratulates Marcus Thames after Thames blasted a two-run home run off Minnesota's Scott Baker on Thursday in Minneapolis. The Tigers won Game One of the four-game series, 7-2.

Michael Cuddyer stopped the shutout with his 21st homer in the bottom of that inning, one of eight hits scattered by Verlander – who walked two, struck out five and had his curveball working well.

“He ate us up,” manager Ron Gardenhire said. “He was nasty.”

Torii Hunter added an RBI single in the ninth but the Twins have scored more than two runs only twice in their last 11 games.

Luis Castillo was picked off first base after a single to start the fourth.

Minnesota put the leadoff man on in the third, fifth and sixth, but Jason Tyner, Hunter and Jason Bartlett each followed with double-play groundouts.

Bartlett’s was the biggest, because Castillo and Nick Punto followed with singles. Joe Mauer, clinging to the AL batting lead, grounded out to end that inning.

He went 1-for-4 and saw his average drop to .3444, just ahead of the Yankees’ Derek Jeter (.3439).

Verlander was given nine days off between starts in early August, and the extra rest has given him strength.

Four of his five outings last month were shaky, but the rookie right-hander has allowed only one run in 14 innings over his last two appearances.

“I definitely think it was beneficial. Anytime you can get some time in there to rest your arm, it’s going to help you,” Verlander said.

Indians 9, White Sox 1

Chicago – Just when the White Sox thought their starting pitching was coming around following three straight solid efforts in Boston, Mark Buehrle failed to get out of the fifth inning.

Cliff Lee pitched six strong innings and Grady Sizemore and Victor Martinez homered off Buehrle to beat the slumping White Sox.

“I think you can blame the season on the starting staff. We haven’t been where we wanted to be and where we were last year,” Buehrle said.

“Everybody had career years last year, and I don’t think you can expect every guy to duplicate what happened last season. Obviously, we’re not close to what we did last year, and that’s been our downfall.”

Not that the defending World Series champions are out of the playoff picture. They’re still only one-half game behind the Twins for the AL wild card and 51â2 back of Detroit in the AL Central, that despite losing six of eight.

“We got to be thankful that the two teams in front of us, they’re in a little funk right now, as well,” Buehrle said.

Cleveland, which has won 13 of 18, generated five runs with two-out hits, including a pair by rookie Ryan Garko, who was 3-for-3 with two walks. Andy Marte singled, double and tripled for the Indians, who had 17 hits.

“Obviously they’re playing to make the playoffs and we’re playing to get on a good streak for next year,” said Lee, who gave up a run and five hits.

Garko, batting .349 in his last 16 games, has given the Indians an offensive lift.

Lee (12-10), who retired the first 10 batters, walked Tadahito Iguchi and Jermaine Dye in the fourth for his first runners before retiring Jim Thome on a flyout and Paul Konerko on a popup.