Twins 5, Tigers 3: Wallner Slam Leads Twins Over Miguel Cabrera and the Tigers

Box Score
Starting pitcher: Bailey Ober: 5 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K ( 87 Pitches, 56 Strikes, 64%)
Home Runs: Matt Wallner (9)
Top 3 WPA: Wallner (.197), Carlos Correa (.115), Max Kepler (.100)
Win Probability Chart (Via Fangraphs):

Mr. Cabrera, You Can Retire Now
Bailey Ober's night started well, with help from his catcher Ryan Jeffers' right arm and a throw out of Akil Baddoo at second to clean up the bases in the top of the first. After the Twins went three-up, three-down in the bottom of the first, the Tigers bit hard in the top of the second. With one out, Kerry Carpenter walked. Ober then tried to sneak an 0-1 fastball down the middle to one of the greatest hitters of all time, and 438 feet later the score was 2-0 Tigers.

Why Can't the Twins Beat the Tigers?
The Twins entered today's game having gone 4-7 against the Tigers in 2023. With a losing record in the season series already guaranteed, the Twins were attempting to at least gain some semblance of respectability as they march toward their potential playoff bid. The root causes involve a lack of offense on the Twins' part (3.36 runs per game) and pitching struggles (giving up 4.45 runs per game). 

Ober faced the Tigers twice already this season, with both outings trailing his season statistics. He held the Tigers in check after Cabrera's blast, escaping a bases loaded situation in the top of the fourth by striking out Isan Diaz. Ober's pitch count climbed to 87, however, before he concluded the fifth inning, and the bullpen was destined to have their rested-ness tested yet again.

Twins Offense...Please? Anything?
Alex Faedo is not a Cy Young award candidate, but you wouldn't have known that the way the Twins offense looked against him over the first five innings. Faedo got six strike outs and surrendered only one hit through his first two trips through the Twins lineup. Luckily for the Twins, the Tigers, for some reason that made sense on some separate universe, pulled Faedo after only 81 pitches and five innings of work.

Bullpen Time! Advantage Twins?
Dylan Floro came in to face the top of the Tigers' lineup in the sixth inning, and thanks to a sweetly turned double play by Carlos Correa and Jorge Polanco he held them scoreless. Jose Cisnero came in for the Tigers to face the top of the Twins lineup in the sixth inning, and thanks to a classic pee wee baseball play by Vierling and Eric Haase on a Max Kepler foul pop, the Twins found themselves with runners at the corners and nobody out.

Newly-reinstated Royce Lewis found himself up at the opportune time, and he decided it was time for the shutout to be over.

Cisnero's night was over, and Will Vest came in to face Correa with runners at first and second. The good news, Correa finally caught a break as he beat out an infield bouncer. The bad news, that loaded the bases...and that situation has been kryptonite to the Twins this season. Matt Wallner came to the plate, looking to reverse that curse, and he delivered grandly!

Can the Twins Hold On?
Wallner's slam flipped the score to 5-2, but flipped the Twins bullpen into its hold-and-save mode. Emilio Pagan took on Cabrera and the gang in the seventh, and set them down 1-2-3. Insurance runs were on the bases for the Twins in the bottom of the seventh, and Correa remembered the bases loaded curse, bouncing into a double play to keep the score 5-2.

Caleb Thielbar was the next man up for the Twins, and he mowed down the Tigers 1-2-3 again, with another great play by Polanco to close out the inning. Jhoan Duran got the ninth, and gave up an 0-2 home run to Spencer Torkelson. Cabrera came up as the tying run as well, but an amazing play by Correa cut him down at first. Duran struck out the Zach McKinstry to end the threat, and the ballgame at 5-3.

What’s Next: The Twins wrap up their season series against the Tigers by sending RHP Kenta Maeda (3-7, 3.97 ERA) to the mound Wednesday afternoon.. His opponent will be Tigers rookie RHP Reese Olson (2-5, 4.45 ERA), who threw six scoreless innings in a win against the Twins on 8/10.  First pitch is scheduled for 12:10pm CDT.

Postgame Interviews:

Bullpen Usage Chart: