Twins 15, Tigers 2: Is 10 Technically a Crooked Number?

[Sam Caulder]

Image courtesy of Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Box Score
SP: Andrew Morris - 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 0 K (29 pitches, 19 strikes (66% strikes))
Home Runs: Kody Clemens, Royce Lewis, Ryan Jeffers
Top 3 WPA: Connor Prielipp (0.28), Royce Lewis (0.18), Walker Jenkins (0.12)
Win Probability Chart

The Twins entered Tuesday night's matchup against the Tigers looking to secure a series victory, after demolishing Detroit in Monday's opener. They did exactly that—and somehow, they were even more dominant the second time around.

Minnesota fell behind 1-0 in the first inning, but Kody Clemens immediately tied the game with a solo homer. The offense stayed quiet for a few innings, but once the Twins finally broke through in the fifth, the floodgates opened. Minnesota scored 14 runs between Tigers tallies and put together a massive 10-run sixth inning en route to a 15-2 victory.

A Belated Beatdown of Troy Melton

The Twins didn't have much success against Troy Melton early, despite the fact that they had hit four home runs against him when they faced him back in June. Outside of Clemens's first-inning homer, Minnesota struggled to create any offense through the first four innings. After Clemens tied the game with a 108-mph solo shot to right, Ryan Jeffers followed with a triple. Unfortunately, the Twins couldn't bring him home. Melton then retired 10 consecutive hitters as Minnesota's offense went quiet.

That changed in the fifth. Trevor Larnach led off the inning with a walk. Royce Lewis smoked a first-pitch fastball (exit velocity: 108 MPH) to left for a double. With runners on second and third and nobody out, the Twins had their first real opportunity to break the game open. They took advantage of it. Kaelen Culpepper grounded out, but Walker Jenkins hit a fateful ground ball to short. Larnach broke for home and got caught in a rundown, but Dillon Dingler's throw sailed past third base. Both Larnach and Lewis scored on the error, giving the Twins a 3-1 lead. Luke Keaschall then added an RBI double to make it 4-1, and Minnesota had finally figured out a way to get to Melton. It was only the beginning of what turned into another massive offensive night.

After Forcing a Crack, Twins Rush Through the Breach in 6th

The Twins entered the sixth inning with a 4-1 lead, but it didn't take long for that advantage to become something much more comfortable. Josh Bell singled and Larnach was hit by a pitch, bringing Lewis to the plate with two runners aboard. The Tigers threw him a first-pitch slider over the heart of the plate, and Lewis didn't miss it. He sent it 427 feet to dead center field for his 14th homer of the season, turning a three-run lead into a 7-1 laugher. It was a great swing from a hitter who badly needed one. But the Twins weren't done.

Culpepper followed with a double, Jenkins worked a walk, and Keaschall added another RBI hit. Brooks Lee then lifted a sacrifice fly to make it 9-1, before Clemens walked to bring Jeffers back to the plate. The veteran catcher put the game completely out of reach, jumping on a slider over the middle of the plate and smoking it off the left-field foul pole for a three-run homer. Suddenly, the Twins had scored eight runs in the inning and were leading 12-1. And they still weren't done.

Bell and Larnach reached again, Lewis added an infield single and Culpepper ripped a 107-MPH single through the left side to drive in two more runs. By the time the inning was over, the Twins had scored 10 runs and taken a ridiculous 14-1 lead. For the second consecutive night, Detroit simply had no answer for Minnesota's offense.

CONNOR PRIELIPP DID HIS JOB 
The Twins went with an opener Tuesday night, using Andrew Morris before turning the game over to Prielipp in the second inning. Morris allowed two singles and a sacrifice fly in the first, giving Detroit an early 1-0 lead. But after Prielipp entered, he settled things down quickly.

The left-hander ran into some traffic in the second inning when Spencer Torkelson led off with a ground-rule double and Max Clark was hit by a pitch. But Prielipp responded by getting Javier Báez to ground into a double play and inducing a John Peck groundout. That would be the biggest threat Detroit had against him.

Prielipp worked through five innings, allowing just three hits and one walk while striking out five. He wasn't perfect (he also committed a fielding error in the fifth), but he consistently made the pitches he needed to make and kept the Tigers from adding to their early lead.

Considering the Twins were coming off a rough week and needed a strong performance from their pitching staff, Prielipp did exactly what Minnesota needed him to do. Once the offense finally broke the game open, the Twins were able to turn things over to their bullpen and coast to the finish line. Even Ben Ross got his first taste of the major leagues, entering at third base and stepping to the plate for his first major-league at-bat. Ross struck out, but the moment was still an important one for the September call-up.

Minnesota also gave Garrett Acton his first appearance after being called up when rosters expanded, while Travis Adams worked a clean seventh inning. The Tigers managed one more run in the eighth, but by then, the outcome had been decided for a long time.

The Twins have now won three consecutive games and have (for now) flipped the script after a frustrating stretch last week. They still have work to do if they're going to turn their late-season playoff hopes into something real, but this is exactly what Minnesota needed. Don't let them get hot.

What’s Next?
The Twins will look to sweep the Tigers at Target Field tomorrow night. Dean Kremer will take the mound for Minnesotal he’ll face off against right-hander Drew Anderson. First pitch is set for 6:40 PM.

Postgame Interviews
Coming soon!

Bullpen Availability Chart

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[AlLagoon]

Tuned in with men on base in the 6th, they almost batted around twice. Great at bats against Finnegan: nobody was biting on the splitter, resulting in walks and hotter's counts.

Went from a game you could still lose to a blowout. Most fun I've had watching the Twins in a while, 10 run inning!

[Vanimal46]

[90stwinskid]

Happy bark at the park day!

Got the series dub -- time to get the broomsticks ready.

Jenkins era: 3-2

Post deadline: 11-15

Overall: 67-72

[ashbury]

Does Connor Prielipp have unusually small hands?  That photo at the top makes it look like he's gripping a softball.

[Vanimal46]

5 minutes ago, 90stwinskid said:

Happy bark at the park day!

Got the series dub -- time to get the broomsticks ready.

Jenkins era: 3-2

Post deadline: 11-15

Overall: 67-72

Certified good boy. Did your pup enjoy a hot dog tonight?

[Blyleven2011]

Great bullpen game , prelipp pitched 5 innings , 3 hits and no runs …

the lineup made contact , strung hits together , hit homeruns with runners on base , pulverized the tigers for the second day in arow for a series win , now we need to continue the win streak and sweep the series …

 

game thread was more interested in discussing the most gamey meal they’ve ever eaten , it was interesting but the game was more exciting …

[Vanimal46]

I hope every dog enjoyed a sweet treat at Target Field and didn’t end up like Jonah who got snubbed in this video. I miss my boy and will see him when I get back to town on Wednesday afternoon 

[TheLeviathan]

Geez, hopefully the offense doesn't blow it all in two spots.

[Parfigliano]

All of a sudden they can score runs.

[soyouresayingtheresachance]

What a win. 

 

[90stwinskid]

32 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

Certified good boy. Did your pup enjoy a hot dog tonight?

He got a couple pup cups and a LOT of pets! No hot dogs though.

[LastOnePicked]

I know it's a bit unorthodox, but could we just play the rest of our games against Detroit? There's gotta be someone in the league office we can talk to about this.

[Cory Engelhardt]

34 minutes ago, Blyleven2011 said:

Great bullpen game , prelipp pitched 5 innings , 3 hits and no runs …

the lineup made contact , strung hits together , hit homeruns with runners on base , pulverized the tigers for the second day in arow for a series win , now we need to continue the win streak and sweep the series …

 

game thread was more interested in discussing the most gamey meal they’ve ever eaten , it was interesting but the game was more exciting …

That's just like your opinion man :)

[Mike Sixel]

There are people that think Prielipp should start in AAA next year..... So Ober and Kremer can start....

[1985Fan]

Hope this game is the start of a Lewis hot streak. Jeffers is on a heater and Clemons is coming out of his slump. If these three guys can get rolling at the same time, this offense might carry this team to much needed win streak. Keep it going into Chicago. 

[Andy MacPhail]

7 hours ago, Blyleven2011 said:

Great bullpen game , prelipp pitched 5 innings , 3 hits and no runs …

the lineup made contact , strung hits together , hit homeruns with runners on base , pulverized the tigers for the second day in arow for a series win , now we need to continue the win streak and sweep the series …

game thread was more interested in discussing the most gamey meal they’ve ever eaten , it was interesting but the game was more exciting …

BP games or some variance of them are looked down by many teams like bunting, baserunning & defense, But teams that overcome these negative mindsets & correctly incorporate these practices will find success.

[DJL44]

Nice win. 5 games under .500 with 23 left to play. They need 15 more wins this month.

[jmlease1]

Well, they smashed the Motor City Kitties pretty thoroughly. Nice to see the offense pile it up. Jenkins may not have gotten any hits, but I do like the way he takes ABs. Culpepper and Keaschall are rolling at the plate; nice to see the guys who have a real future with the team playing well.

Not a stellar defensive game, but better so see the other team be on the short end of that stick for once. 

Max Clark is pretty good, we're going to be dealing with him for a long time.

[Saxophone Joe]

The game could've gone a completely different direction had the Tigers capitalized on some RISP opportunities. Was tied 1-1 in the fifth and 14-1 by the end of the 6th. 

Props to Prielipp for a really solid outing. Was a relief to see Morris didn't let his opener inning get away from him, too. 

A sweep will make things interesting heading into the weekend rematch with the White Sox. 

[mikelink45]

I do not see this as a BP game - just because Morris started and went 1 inning.  Prielipp went five - he was the starter in my mind.  And I am against openers - I really do not see that it is a valuable idea.  

Loved the batting practice today, but my only downer is Morris five games in a row giving up runs - 9 runs in 5.1 (he needs to rest or change something).

[chinmusic]

9 hours ago, Parfigliano said:

All of a sudden they can score runs

Could be the injection of youth. As The Who once noted, "The Kids are Alright":

[Saxophone Joe]

35 minutes ago, mikelink45 said:

only downer is Morris five games in a row giving up runs - 9 runs in 5.1 (he needs to rest or change something).

Yeah, at this point, I'm more comfortable slotting Nance into Morris' leverage spot. 

[Riverbrian]

It's true that a 1 or a zero by themselves are not crooked numbers.

However, when you combine them together they become a crooked number. 

I had some sodium but it wasn't winning baseball games. I also had some chloride and it also wasn't winning baseball games. I combined them together and now my food tastes a little enhanced. 

A ten spot crooked number in a single inning is like a having a left shoe and a right shoe. You can win baseball games with shoes on both feet. If you try to play with only a left shoe... it's much harder. 

     

[Jack207]

I think one of the benefits of an opener is the second pitcher, who really is the starter like Prielipp, faces the lower half of the order his third time around rather than the top of the order. Of course, this is assuming he's pitching decent.

[Danchat]

9 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

There are people that think Prielipp should start in AAA next year..... So Ober and Kremer can start....

I foresee some frustrating conversations on this forum in the future...

[Riverbrian]

The sequencing of hits, walks and errors (not making outs) are often overlooked in this game that we love. 

We tend to look at team total stats for our opinions but I believe that the sequencing of positive results is what produces wins and losses. 

The MLB average OBP in 2026 is .315.

The Cubs have the highest OBP with a .340 and the Mets have the worst with a .305. The Twins rank 10th currently with a .320, 

These numbers alone tell you that every 3 AB's in an average inning is one base runner and two outs and this is the scenario for all teams. If this occurs in exact static fashion without stringing together positive events that happen at a .315 percentage...  teams will only score via home run. 

Sequencing is the the thing that defies these average results and produces runs. 

The average baserunners per game will be around 13.5 per game per team. If you space them out equally over 9 innings a lot of zero's will be hung. 

Last night we had 13 hits, 6 walks, 1 error and 1 HBP for a total of 21 baserunners. 12 Baserunners were produced in our 10 run 6th inning. That is sequencing on steroids. 

We also produced 4 baserunners in the 5th... Aided greatly by a big throwing error from Dingler. 

The 8th brought us 3 baserunners

That leaves 2 baserunners total for the remaining 5 innings. Those events occurred in the 1st inning only one was necessary because of the Clemens solo home run. 

We went down in order in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 7th innings. Which is Ok because I'd rather go down in order for multiple innings and pile up that average allotment in single innings.  

Sequencing. It's the stuff dreams are made of. Without it... We need a lot of home runs.  

 

[SD happy]

46 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

The sequencing of hits, walks and errors (not making outs) are often overlooked in this game that we love. 

We tend to look at team total stats for our opinions but I believe that the sequencing of positive results is what produces wins and losses. 

The MLB average OBP in 2026 is .315.

The Cubs have the highest OBP with a .340 and the Mets have the worst with a .305. The Twins rank 10th currently with a .320, 

These numbers alone tell you that every 3 AB's in an average inning is one base runner and two outs. If this occurs in exact static fashion teams will only score via home run. 

Sequencing is the the thing that defies these average results and produces runs. 

The average baserunners per game will be around 13.5 per game. If you space them out over 9 innings a lot of zero's will be hung. 

Last night we had 13 hits, 6 walks, 1 error and 1 HBP for a total of 21 baserunners. 12 Baserunners were produced in our 10 run 6th inning. That is sequencing on steroids. 

We also produced 4 baserunners in the 5th... Aided greatly by a big throwing error from Dingler. 

The 8th brought us 3 baserunners

That leaves 2 baserunners total for the remaining 5 innings. Those events occurred in the 1st inning only one was necessary because of the Clemens home run. 

We went down in order in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 7th innings. Which is Ok because I'd rather go down in order for multiple innings and pile up that average allotment in single innings.  

Sequencing. It's the stuff dreams are made of. Without it... We need a lot of home runs.  

 

Good, interesting points. I have to ask, are you a teacher? Good stuff but way too much math for this early in the morning! 🙂

[LastOnePicked]

Three decisive wins in a row. Peter, your time has come!

[mickster]

12 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

There are people that think Prielipp should start in AAA next year..... So Ober and Kremer can start....

I would like him in long relief, spot starting