Twins extend hot streak with series-opening win vs. Tigers

Field Level Media|published: Tue 2nd July, 22:27 2024

Jul 2, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton (25) makes a diving catch to retire Detroit Tigers center fielder Riley Greene (31) in the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-USA TODAY Sports

Manuel Margot and Carlos Correa homered as the Minnesota Twins rallied for a 5-3 win over the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night in Minneapolis.

Royce Lewis went 1-for-2 with a two-run double for the Twins before exiting the game because of left groin tightness after the fifth inning. The team labeled his status as day-to-day.

Justyn-Henry Malloy and Ryan Kreidler homered for Detroit.

Twins right-hander Jorge Alcala (2-3) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings after replacing starter Simeon Woods Richardson, who gave up three runs on four hits in 5 2/3 innings. Woods Richardson struck out four and walked two.

Jhoan Duran pitched a perfect ninth inning to collect his 13th save.

Tigers right-hander Will Vest (1-2) allowed one run in two-thirds of an inning. He followed starter Tarik Skubal, who gave up three runs on four hits in six innings. Skubal fanned seven and walked one.

In the opener of a three-game set, Minnesota won for the fifth time in six games while Detroit took its fifth defeat in six contests.

The Twins broke a 3-3 tie in the seventh. Byron Buxton led off with a ground-rule double, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a fielder's-choice groundout by Ryan Jeffers.

Correa made it 5-3 Minnesota with a leadoff homer in the eighth off Beau Brieske. The 421-foot shot to left-center field was Correa's 10th long ball of the season.

Minnesota grabbed a 2-0 lead in the third. With one out, Kyle Farmer and Margot hit back-to-back singles, and Lewis came up big with a two-out, two-run double to left field.

The Tigers blasted a pair of home runs in the top of the fifth to grab a 3-2 advantage.

Malloy started the big inning with a leadoff home run to left. It was the rookie's fourth homer in 24 games.

Three batters later, Kreidler ripped a two-run homer to put Detroit on top. The shot to left marked Kreidler's first homer of the season and the second of his career.

Margot evened the score at 3-3 in the bottom of the fifth. He pulled a pitch 406 feet to left-center field for his third homer of the season and his second in the past seven games.

--Field Level Media