Byron Buxton's big bat sparks Twins past Tigers

Byron Buxton homered, doubled and scored twice as the Minnesota Twins salvaged the finale of a three-game series by topping the Detroit Tigers, 5-1, Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis.

Edouard Julien also hit a solo homer for the Twins while Ty France had two hits and an RBI.

Minnesota starter Simeon Woods Richardson (1-1) gave up one run on five hits with five strikeouts in five innings. Louis Varland, Cole Sands, Griffin Jax and Jhoan Duren each tossed an inning of scoreless relief.

Spencer Torkelson had a solo homer for Detroit. Casey Mize (2-1) gave up four runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Kerry Carpenter smacked a one-out double in the first, but Woods Richardson recorded a strikeout and groundout to leave him stranded. With one out in the bottom of the inning, Buxton smashed a 3-2 Mize fastball over the left-field wall.

Minnesota made it 2-0 in the second. France led off with a single and moved up on a groundout. With two outs, Franco moved to third on a wild pitch and scores on Brooks Lee's single up the middle.

Detroit had two baserunners in the third as Trey Sweeney led off with a single and advanced to third on a Carpenter single. Woods Richardson then struck out Riley Greene.

Torkelson put the Tigers on the board in the fourth with his fifth homer. He smoked a Woods Richardson full-count fastball into the second deck in left field.

Detroit had another threat in the fifth when Gleyber Torres had a two-out single and Carpenter was hit by a pitch. Greene flied out to leave the runners stranded.

Julien led off the sixth with an opposite-field shot that clanged off the left-field foul pole for a 3-1 Minnesota lead. Buxton followed with a double and Willi Castro reached on an infield single. After a strikeout, France reached on an infield single to score Buxton.

--Field Level Media