Twins Video
Box Score
Starting Pitcher: Kenta Maeda, 4.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K (87 pitches, 56 strikes, 64.4%)
Home Runs: Jorge Polanco (8), Max Kepler (20)
Bottom 3 WPA: Griffin Jax (-.586), Donovan Solano (-.313), Matt Wallner (-.178)
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)
Bats build a four-run lead in a hurry
No American League Central team has been a bigger thorn in the Twins' side this season than Detroit. The Tigers secured the season series win against Minnesota last week by taking three out of four at Comerica Park, making it seven out of 11 against the Twins for the year at that time. Today, Minnesota had the chance to complete their first and only sweep of the Tigers on the year while putting themselves in position to match their biggest lead atop the division.
Things started well for the Twins at the plate, and they built a four-run lead very quickly. When Édouard Julien jumped on the first pitch he saw for a leadoff single in the bottom of the first, you could tell the Twins bats were hungry. Julien got picked off, but Minnesota's offense didn't take it lying down. Max Kepler worked a two-out walk shortly before Royce Lewis stepped up to the plate and smacked an RBI double to the gap in right-center field to put the Twins on the board.
That was all the Twins could muster in the first, but they were back at it again in the second. Christian Vázquez, Joey Gallo, and Kyle Farmer collected three consecutive singles to load the bases with one out against Tigers' starter Reese Olson. To make up for his baserunning blunder from earlier, Julien punished Olson's curveball with a line drive to center, pushing two more runners across. Then, in the following at-bat, Jorge Polanco flied out to deep center, deep enough to score Farmer from third and make it 4-0 Minnesota. That was the 13th time this season the Twins' offense scored four runs or more in the first two innings of a game.
Maeda isn't sharp, exits the game early
The offense looked great to start this game, which is a relief, given how inconsistent it's been this season. And given how well Minnesota's pitchers have been this year, one could naturally expect a four-run lead to be enough to secure a win. Right? Well, Twins' starter Kenta Maeda had an off day. Not only did he fail to take advantage of that lead, but his start was also short-lived.
Maeda tossed two scoreless to open the game, but it wasn't simple. It took him 26 pitches to get through the first, and he gave up a single and a walk. The second inning was less eventful, but he still needed to pitch around a leadoff double to Miguel Cabrera – who, by the way, tagged up and reached third on a flyout, the daredevil.
In the third, Detroit managed to ambush him with a pair of long balls. Akil Baddoo led off the inning with a single, followed by a Riley Greene two-run shot. Then, Spencer Torkleson hit a one-out solo shot to cut the Twins' lead down to one. Kenta would give up another single before closing the book on this inning. He came back to toss a 1-2-3 fourth, but with his pitch count reaching 82 after four, he faced only one batter in the fifth before Rocco Baldelli pulled him from the game. It was the first time Maeda had thrown four or fewer innings in a start since July 14.
Jax struggles, Tigers punish him
The Twins got some quality relief from Dylan Floro and Emilio Pagán, who combined for two scoreless frames on only 21 pitches after Maeda departed the game. Then, Griffin Jax took over in the seventh, and things turned disastrous. He got the leadoff man to ground out but relinquished the one-run lead after giving up a walk to Baddoo and a triple to Greene. Matt Vierling grounded out to short to send Greene home and give Detroit its first afternoon lead.
With two outs and only a one-run deficit, things were still salvageable for Minnesota, provided Jax could get the final out. But everything got a little more complicated as Jax gave up back-to-back solo home runs to Torkleson and Kerry Carpenter. It was the first time Jax had given up four runs in an outing since May 13, 2022. Josh Winder took over in the ninth and gave up a leadoff walk to Baddoo that returned to haunt him.
Baddoo reached third after a throwing error by Vázquez, and Greene hit a long flyout that went deep enough to send him home for Detroit's eighth run. This run turned out to be the game-winning one.
Epic rally falls short
After scoring the four runs in the first two innings, the Twins' offense remained active for a couple more innings, producing five more baserunners (three singles and two walks). But they went ice-cold immediately after that, going 0-for-13 into the eighth, with only a walk to show.
When the ninth inning came, things went wild. Julien snapped the team's funk with a leadoff single representing his fourth hit of the day, a career-high for him. Then, Polanco and Kepler followed with back-to-back home runs, and suddenly the Twins were within one. Lewis made it four in a row with a single, bringing Matt Wallner to the plate with a chance to walk it off. He swung on the second pitch he saw, sending it to deep left field, but a foot shy of a home run, right into Baddoo's glove. Lewis couldn't move up, and the Tigers induced a game-ending double play next.
Postgame Interview
What's Next?
The Twins will enjoy a day off on Thursday but stay in town to continue their homestand on Friday (Aug 18). They'll host the Pittsburgh Pirates for a three-game set over the weekend, with the first pitch of game one scheduled for 7:10 pm CDT on Friday. Pablo López (8-6, 3.66 ERA) is expected to take the mound for Minnesota, while the Pirates' starter has yet to be determined.
Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet
| SAT | SUN | MON | TUE | WED | TOT | |
| Jax | 15 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 60 |
| Thielbar | 15 | 14 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 38 |
| Balazovic | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 36 |
| Pagán | 0 | 9 | 0 | 11 | 15 | 35 |
| Winder | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 28 |
| Durán | 0 | 13 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 27 |
| Floro | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 6 | 20 |
| Sands | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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