Tigers 7, Twins 3: Folks

folks

Another one in the right-hand column, as the Twins drop the Saturday matinee to the Detroit Tigers — noted worst team in baseball — and become just the third team in the league to drop 20 ballgames on this young season.

It was just kind of a weird one, as starter Jose Berrios produced a line that would indicate first-glance competence — La Maquina lasted six innings, and held the Tigers to six hits and just two runs. However, there’s more to the story than that statline would betray; sprinkled among those six hits were five free passes and just one strikeout in response, meaning the Berrios labored through most of his 104 pitches while in the stretch position.

Jose Urena found his way to just two runs allowed, as well, but allowed nine Twin hits in under five innings before giving way to Michael Fulmer, who pitched a few scoreless in relief and represented the most stable pitching that Detroit would get in the game.

The Tigers jumped out first on a Robbie Grossman leadoff shot, then doubled their lead on extra bases from Niko Goodrum. The Twins wouldn’t join the action until the fifth, when Josh Donaldson laced his third home run of the year above the Little Caesar’s signage and tied the game.

Twins in it, bats bumping a little bit, late innings arrive.

Bullpen enters the equation.

See where this is going?

Tonight’s unfortunate victim of some bizarre relief-related curse was Tyler Duffey, who carried a 2.53 ERA into the contest and left at 5.56.

Detroit began their half of the seventh inning with a pair of singles, then plated the go-ahead run before recording their second out of the inning. From there, a wild pitch and walk opened the door for Derek Law to run some clean-up duty; instead, he allowed two knocks and two walks in his next four batters, and the Tigers had opened up a four-run lead.

Twins down late, needing some competitive at-bats to get back in it.

See where this is going?

Well, tonight, we got one back at the very least — Josh Donaldson seemed to still be interested in scoring runs, and drove in his third Twin of the game with an eighth-inning double. From there, it was business as usual, with the Tigers sailing with relative ease all the way through to the end of a 7-3 victory.

The series ends tomorrow!

STUDS:

3B Josh Donaldson (2-for-4, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, BB)

2B Jorge Polanco (3-for-5)

CF Jake Cave (2-for-4, technically recorded an outfield assist)

DUDS:

I don’t have the heart to give him a dud in his major-league debut, but Trevor Larnach had six Twins waiting for him on base during his at-bats and went 0-for-4 with a HBP.

RP Tyler Duffey (0.2 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, BB)

RP Derek Law (1.1 IP, 3 H, ER, 3 BB, 2 K)

FOLKS:

COMMENT OF THE GAMETHREAD:

too many folks from which to choose. pick your own. but it can’t be joel