DETROIT -- Matt Boyd has quietly been one of the Detroit Tigers most consistent starters in the second half of the season.Coming into Tuesday night, he was 5-1 since July 1 with a 2.56 ERA in 11 appearances, 10 of them as a starter. He hasnt gotten the same attention as Justin Verlander or Michael Fulmer, but hes been a big reason the Tigers have been able to stay in the wild-card race.Thats why it was surprising when everything blew up in his face against the Minnesota Twins.Boyd gave up seven runs, eight hits and a walk in 3 2/3 innings as the Tigers lost 8-1.I was just out of sync, Boyd said. I wasnt right physically. I feel great, but my mechanics were off. I couldnt repeat my delivery, and thats a recipe for disaster.That cant happen at this time of year.The Tigers lost for the third time in 14 games against Minnesota, costing them precious ground in a crowded race for the AL wild-card spots. They are now two games behind the Blue Jays and the Orioles and tied with the Yankees.Kyle Gibson went eight innings for the Twins and didnt allow a run after Miguel Cabreras first-inning single. He did have to navigate one major jam. In the fourth, with the Twins up 7-1, he walked Tyler Collins and Erick Aybar to load the bases with two out.After a conference with pitching coach Neil Allen and catcher John Ryan Murphy, he threw three straight changeups to Jarrod Saltalamacchia. After two swinging strikes, Gibson got a routine pop fly to end the inning.Thats an offense that can put up runs in a hurry, he said. I wanted to limit them to zero or, at worst one. I had missed on seven straight heaters, so when Murph suggested the changeup, it sounded good to me.Gibson (6-9) threw a perfect fifth inning and never looked back. The win ended a four-start winless streak, including when Gibson allowed five runs in five innings to Detroit on Aug. 23.Jorge Polanco homered and drove in four runs and Brian Dozier added three more hits to his torrid second half.Dozier entered hitting .318 with 26 homers since the All-Star break. Hes hit safely in 17 consecutive games.Buck Farmer saved Detroits bullpen by pitching 4 1/3 scoreless innings, but now the Tigers long reliever will be unavailable for starts by Anibal Sanchez and Mike Pelfrey on Wednesday and Thursday. Sanchez has struggled all year, while Pelfrey will be pitching for the first time since July and is expected to be on a low pitch count.He was outstanding, and it helped us a ton, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. That frees up the rest of the bullpen for the next couple days.Boyd got into trouble quickly, allowing two runs before recording an out. Dozier led off with a base hit and Polanco blooped a double down the right-field line. Robbie Grossman lined Boyds 11th pitch of the night into center for a two-run single, but the Tigers defense prevented further damage.Kennys Vargas hit a hard grounder up the middle, but Jose Iglesias fielded it behind second and got off a backhanded flip toward the bag. Ian Kinsler caught it in his bare hand and threw in one motion to turn the double play.After Cabrera got the Tigers on the board, Polancos two-run homer gave the Twins a three-run lead in the third. Grossman followed with a double, giving the top three in Minnesotas order six hits in six plate appearances, including three doubles and a homer.Polanco had two shots at the triple he needed for the cycle but popped out and walked.TRAINERS ROOMTigers: Justin Upton didnt play after aggravating a calf injury on Monday. Upton, one of Detroits hottest hitters over the last three weeks, hopes to return within a day or two.OLYMPIAN IN THE HOUSEFor the second day in a row, a medalist from the 2016 Summer Olympics threw out the first pitch. After boxing gold medalist Claressa Shields did the honors on Monday, it was Canadian Shelina Zadorsky, who won bronze as a member of the womens soccer team after a college career at the University of Michigan.UP NEXTThe teams play the third of a four-game series Wednesday night, with Sanchez (7-13, 5.69) facing Minnesotas Tyler Duffey (8-11, 6.13). Sanchez has shown some signs of improvement, going 1-1 with a 3.34 ERA in his last five starts. Cheap Adidas Ireland From China . On June 12, just as the sun sets on the magnificent historical city of Sao Paulo the inventors, innovators and purveyors of “joga bonitowill” open their campaign. The opponent, Croatia and all its football might and will. As opposites do attract we are set for a corker of an opener. Superstar Ireland Sale . Cuban testified Thursday that he was upset when the companys CEO told him news that would reduce the value of his shares, for which hed paid $7.5 million. But he said he did nothing improper when he sold those shares over the next two days. http://www.wholesalesuperstarireland.com/ . Scott won the Australian PGA last week in his first event in Australia since winning the U.S. Masters in April. American Matt Kuchar, ahead by two strokes with four to play and even with Scott with one to go, double-bogeyed the 18th after taking two shots to get out of a bunker. Adidas Superstar Ireland . In the response filed Wednesday to the complaint by 30-year-old Alexander Bradley, attorneys say the former University of Florida player is invoking his Fifth Amendment right that protects people from incriminating themselves. Discount Superstar Ireland Online . Nathan MacKinnon, Jamie McGinn and Jan Hejda also scored for the Avalanche, who won despite being outshot 38-23. MacKinnons goal, also on the power play, came with just over a minute remaining. The New York Islanders fit into that uncomfortable category of Geez, Im not really sure if theyre a team on the rise or just going in an ever-expanding circle. After making their second consecutive playoff experience and winning their first playoff series since 1993 last spring -- a six-game victory over the Atlantic Division champion?Florida Panthers?-- the Islanders cant afford to take a step back.The problem is, theres no real tangible indication this team is any better than it was last spring -- and, in fact, theres some widespread belief that it already might have regressed after losing key pieces Kyle Okposo, Frans Nielsen and Matt Martin.In a division in which everyone else seems to be on the rise, thats not good news. And if the Isles really arent poised to build on last seasons successes, how does that impact captain John Tavares, whose contract ends after the 2017-18 season? He already is the subject of no small amount of rumor vis-a-vis his next port of call.And thats all on the ice. Off the ice, the Islanders will begin their second season in Brooklyn still very much needing to clarify their long-term future at Barclays Center after a first year that can only charitably be called an up-and-down one in their new home.Biggest new facesIt is still more than a little mystifying why the Islanders decided early on that they werent going to re-up Okposo, who signed with the?Buffalo Sabres, but were willing to basically give a similar contract to Andrew Ladd, who is almost two years older. Ladd, who signed a seven-year deal worth $38.5 million, is a two-time Stanley Cup champion and the former captain of the Winnipeg Jets. Hell be a welcome addition to the Islanders locker room, but its a stretch to see him as a 30-goal guy. And the term of the deal (seven years) looks like itll be a killer -- and maybe sooner than later.Joining Ladd up front will be Jason Chimera, who is coming off a nice run in Washington -- although at some point the hard-skating 37-year-old is going to run out of gas, isnt he? Speaking of older players, 35-year-old?Dennis Seidenberg?parlayed a nice turn with Team Europe at the World Cup of Hockey into a one-year deal with the Islanders, whom hell help out on the blue line. But there was a reason why Seidenberg ddidnt fit with the?Boston Bruins, who were looking to get younger and more mobile on defense.ddddddddddddiggest unknownsWith Okposo and Nielsen (who signed with the?Detroit Red Wings)?gone, thats 116 points out of last years lineup that has to be replaced if the Isles are to continue flirting with being a top-10 offensive team (they were 11th last season). Ladd and Chimera will bring some offense, but which of the kids will step forward? Ryan Strome went from 17 goals two years ago to eight last season and was a healthy scratch at times in the playoffs. Josh Bailey, the ninth overall pick in the 2008 entry draft, has never hit the 20-goal plateau. He had 12 goals last season and just one in the playoffs. Shane Prince and Alan Quine were both impressive in the playoffs but have little NHL experience, while another top prospect, center Mathew Barzal, has impressed at camp for the second straight year.As for the goaltending, itll be interesting to see how the story unfolds this year after Thomas Greiss took over for an injured Jaroslav Halak and was excellent in guiding the Isles to the upset of the Panthers in the first round. Halak is healthy and was clutch for Team Europe, which he helped guide to the World Cup of Hockey finals. But the issue with Halak, as always, is durability -- and it would surprise no one if the Isles have to patch together their goaltending as the season moves along.Sure thingsWell, theres John Tavares. And thats as sure as it gets for the Islanders. He probably doesnt get the attention that guys like Jonathan Toews, Sidney Crosby or even Ryan Getzlaf do, but Tavares is one of the premier two-way centers in the game and works tirelessly to make himself the most complete player he can be. He was terrific playing out of position for Team Canada, which tells you how humble he is, and he will continue to set the tone in the dressing room for an Islanders team that he basically carried single-handedly into the second round last spring.PredictionLots of teams are trending north in the Metropolitan Division. Im just not sure the Islanders are one of them. Seventh in the Metropolitan Division. ' ' '