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Today’s lineups:
MIN: Max Kepler RF, Jorge Polanco SS, Luis Arraez 2B, Nelson Cruz DH, Eddie Rosario DH, Josh Donaldson 3B, Mitch Garver C, Marwin Gonzalez 1B, Byron Buxton CF, Jose Berrios P
DET: Cameron Maybin RF, Victor Reyes CF, C.J. Cron 1B, Christin Stewart DH, Jeimer Candelario 3B, Niko Goodrum SS, Travis Demeritte LF, Austin Romine C, Dawel Lugo 2B, Casey Mize P
‘twas not a good night for the Detroit Gardys. Casey Mize actually could have had a worse night—he could have had the night Jordan Zimmerman did. Still, Mize didn’t have a great performance, and the Tiger bullpen was a real letdown.
Jose Berrios was sharp again for the Twins, as was Matt Wisler.
The Twins offense started things off in the first, and never took their foot off the pedal. Max Kepler led the game off with a single. Jorge Polanco reached on a bunt, beating out the play at first, and Eddie Rosario drove both men in with his first double of the night.
The Twins added another run in the top of the third inning. Luis Arraez hit a lead off double, and was joined by Nelson Cruz, who collected a walk. Rosario advanced both men, and then Mitch Garver hit a sacrifice that scored the lead runner.
Detroit finally put a runner across in the bottom of the fourth inning. C.J. Cron singled to start the inning, and went to third on Christin Stewart’s single. A wild pitch in the next at-bat let Cron score.
The top of the fifth saw the Twins score two more. Nelson Cruz hit a one-out single. Eddie Rosario doubled to put two in scoring position, and then Josh Donaldson hit another double to bring both in, and send Mize to the showers.
Gregory Soto, who had come in to finish the fifth, opened the sixth for Detroit by allowing a Byron Buxton single and a Kepler walk to put two on with no one out. Jordan Zimmerman took over on the mound. Luis Arraez reached on an error, bringing up Nelson Cruz with the bases loaded. Cruz boomstick’d the first pitch Zimmerman offered him, for a GRAND SLAM that traveled 456 feet. Zimmerman’s night was just going to get worse though—he got Eddie Rosario out, but then Josh Donaldson and Mitch Garver went back-to-back-jacks against him, to take the score to 11-1.
Detroit picked up their other run in the bottom of the inning, but it was by far too little, too late. Christin Stewart hit an infield single, and then came home on a double that Jeimer Candelario hit to deep right field.
The Twins scored their final three runs in the top of the ninth, just because they could or something. Josh Donaldson reached on an E6. Alex Avila, hitting for Garver, walked. Marwin Gonzalez hit a single to load the bases up for Byron Buxton. Buxton hit a single to score Donaldson, and then Avila went home as well on an E7 that saw each runner take an extra base. Jorge Polanco brought Avila in with a sac fly to bring the final to 14 to 2.
Notes
- The Twins scored 14 runs on 14 hits and four walks tonight.
STUDS:
Nelson Cruz: 2-4, GRAND SLAM, 4 RBI, BB
Josh Donaldson: 2-4, HR, Double, 3 RBI, BB
Mitch Garver: 2-3, HR, 2 RBI
DUDS:
No duds, Twins win!
Tomorrow: at the Detroit Tigers, first pitch at 6:10. (Look for the recap around 9pm)