Twins 8, Tigers 4: Its all working according to the formula(simulated)

Today’s lineups:

MIN: Kepler RF, Polanco SS, Cruz DH, Sano 1B, Donaldson 3B, Arraez 2B, Garver C, Cave RF, Buxton CF, Odorizzi P

DET: Maybin RF, Reyes CF, Schoop 2B, Cron 1B, Candelario 3B, Goodrum SS, Castro DH, Demeritte LF, Haase C, Mize P

Casey Mize is supposed to be a big part of the future in Detroit. This was not his day, however.

In the first inning, Max Kepler led off with a single, and Jorge Polanco followed it up with a double to put two men in scoring position. Cruz and Sano both took swinging Ks, and then Donaldson hit a two-out, two run single.

Still Detroit kept it close in the top of the second. Jeimer Candelario hit a lead off double. Travis Demeritte brought him in with a single. The Twins went scoreless in their half, and then the Tigers took the lead in the top of the third. Cameron Maybin and Victor Reyes went down swinging, but Jake Odorizzi struggled to get the third out. Jonathan Schoop singled, and came home on a C.J. Cron double. Candelario and Cron switched places in the next at-bat, giving Detroit a one-run lead that would only last a couple at-bats.

In the home half of the third inning, Max Kepler reached on an E1, when Mize dropped Cron’s throw covering first. Jorge Polanco put runners on the corners with a single, and then Cruz brought Kepler in with a game-tying single of his own. Odorizzi faced one over the minimum in the top of the fourth.

The bottom of the fourth would be Mize’s last inning. A lead off double by Luis Arraez and a RBI single by Mitch Garver cost him the lead. Max Kepler added another RBI by bringing in Garver, and reliever Drew Carlton got the final out.

Nothing noteworthy happened in the fifth inning, but in the sixth, walks haunted. Specifically a lead off walk by Niko Goodrum, would would come in and score after a couple singles. Odorizzi still had a one-run lead though.

The Twins opened it up in their half of the sixth, and concluded the afternoon’s scoring. Luis Arraez reached on an error by Cron, and made his way around the diamond on a Garver groundout. Jake Cave hit a single to score Arraez. After Buxton struck out, Max Kepler found a pitch he liked, and hit his fourth bomba of the season. It was a flyball to right field, and went 371 feet.

Cody Stashak and Trevor May finished the game out of the pen for the Twins, and didn’t allow a run, and only one hit, between them.

Notes

• For Detroit, Travis Demeritte left the game with an injury during the fourth inning.
• Detroit had three double plays, and all three were made entirely by former Twins (Goodrum-Schoop-Cron, Cron-Goodrun-Cron, Schoop-Goodrum-Cron.)
• The Blue Jays lost, so the Twins are in sole possession of first place in the AL. Its a close thing though, as the White Sox are tied with Toronto.

STUDS:

Max Kepler 3-5, HR, 3 RBI
Nelson Cruz: 2-4, RBI
Jake Cave: 3-4, RBI

DUDS:

No Duds, Twins win!

Tomorrow: Home against the Mariners, gametime 6:40 (look for the recap around 10)

Standings:
MIN 14-8 —
CHW 13-9 1
CLE 13-10 1 1/2
DET 10-11 3 1/2
KCR 9-12 4 1/2