Tigers 10, Twins 7: Bomba Squad breaks record; pitching and defensive woes too much for comeback

The Minnesota Twins were riding a six-game winning streak before tonight’s contest against Ron Gardenhire’s Detroit Tigers. An added bonus included a 4.5-game lead on the Cleveland Spiders for the American League Central crown as well as within striking distance of the all-time regular season home run record set by the New York Yankees last year. Something good was bound to happen tonight, right?

Matthew Boyd was riding a rough month of August and the Bomba Squad would make this month worse for him as Mitch Garver would stroke his 25th homer of the year to lead off the game. His homer came off a four-seam fastball and sailed over the left field wall and gave the Twins an early lead. The Tigers, facing Martin Perez, would strike back in the bottom of the frame, striking together a single by Victor Reyes, a stolen base, a walk by Miguel Cabrera, and a sac fly by Ronny Rodriguez would bring a run across to tie the game.

A Max Kepler homer in the top of the second would bring the Twins the lead again and closer to breaking the home-run record. The Tigers would change that score pretty heavily in the home frame of the third. A Victor Reyes single would see him standing on second thanks to an Ehire Adrianza error in right field. Willie Castro would single, bringing in Reyes. Cabrera would double, scoring Castro. Rodriguez would homer, making it a 5-2 game in favor of Detroit. Single, double, walk, single, strikeout, single + another Adrianza error would make the score 8-2 and Perez would get the hook. Cody Stashak came in from the bullpen with runners on the corners and would induce a fly-out to stop the bleeding.

Stashak would continue to pitch through the sixth while the Twins would try to launch a comeback. Jorge Polanco would get in the bomba fun tonight with his 20th homer of the year, a two-run shot to left field in the fifth. C.J. Cron would get his 24th homer of the year with a bomba to right field in the top of the sixth, bringing the Twins within three, 8-5. However, the Tigers would get a two-run shot off of Rodriguez, making it a 10-5 game after the end of the sixth.

A scoreless seventh by Gregory Soto and Trevor May would lead to some history-making the next two innings. Nelson Cruz would lead off the top of the eighth with his 34th bomba of the year to center field, tying the single-season home run record. Then in the ninth, Garver would hit his second homer of the game tonight to break the record, a four-seamer over the left field wall. However, it was not enough as the those homers only brought the Twins to seven runs total, which is less than ten runs.

The Twins and Tigers will fight it out again tomorrow with a 12:10p Central start for the third game of this four-game wraparound series. Michael Pineda will take the hill for Minnesota and Detroit will counter with Spencer Turnbull.

Tigers 10, Twins 7
W: Boyd (7-10)
L: Perez (9-6)

NOTES

• The Cleveland team lost tonight to the Tampa Bay Rays, so the Twins’ lead remains at 4.5 games.
• Jake Cave came in for Ehire Adrianza in the bottom of the sixth inning. It’s not clear if this was due to injury or a defensive replacement.
• The Twins broke the single-season home run record. Did you know that?

STUDS

• Mitch Garver: 2-3, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 HR
• Nelson Cruz: 2-5, R, RBI, HR, 2 K
• Max Kepler: 2-3, R, RBI, BB, HR
• Jorge Polanco: 2-4, R, 2 RBI, BB, HR
• C.J. Cron: 1-4, R, RBI, HR, 3 K

Honorable Mention

• Cody Stashak: 3.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 K, ate up some innings

duds

• Miguel Sano: 0-5, 4 K
• Martin Perez: 2.2 IP, 9 H, 7 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
• Ehire Adrianza, 0-3, K, two errors

COMMENT OF THE GAME THREAD

Take your pick! montanatwinsfan wanting five bombas in a row or doomsdayshark wanting one more bomba to break the record.

THOSE NOT CHARGED WITH TWO ERRORS TONIGHT

SEE YOU TOMORROW