The Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins played their third game of the four-game series tonight. Framber Valdez got the ball for Detroit, facing off against Bailey Ober for the Minnesota Twins.
Detroit Tigers Starting Lineup
1B – Colt Keith
3B – Kevin McGonigle
DH – Gleyber Torres
RF – Kerry Carpenter
LF – Riley Greene
C – Dillon Dingler
CF – Matt Vierling
2B – Zach McKinstry
SS – Javier Báez
LHP – Framber Valdez
Minnesota Twins Starting Lineup
CF – Byron Buxton
LF – Austin Martin
2B – Luke Keaschall
C – Ryan Jeffers
1B – Victor Caratini
DH – Josh Bell
RF – Matt Wallner
3B – Royce Lewis
SS – Brooks Lee
RHP – Bailey Ober
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Tigers vs. Twins
First Three
The Tigers went down 1-2-3 to kick off the game. The Twins wasted no time getting to Framber Valdez. Byron Buxton led off the game with a single, followed by an Austin Martin hit by pitch. Buxton scored on a wild pitch to make it 1-0. Josh Ball drove home Luke Keaschall, who reached on a fielder’s choice. Matt Wallner doubled home Victor Caratini, who walked. Royce Lewis singled home Bell. Lewis stole second, and the Tigers got out of the inning down 6-0.
The Tigers threatened in the second after a Kerry Carpenter lead-off walk the Twins recorded an out. Dillon Dingler singled, but the next two Detroit batters were retired. The next inning and a half were silent.
Middle Three
The Twins would threaten in the fourth, and Keaschall singled home Buxton. In the sixth inning, the Tigers got on the board. Colt Keith led off the inning with a two. Two, two batters later, Gleyber Torres singled Keith to third, and Carpenter singled him home to make it 7-1. After Minnesota recorded another out, Dingler singled home Torres to make it 7-2. The Tigers would then load the bases as Parker Meadows, pinch-hitting for Matt Vierling, singled. The Twins escaped the jam as Zach McKinstry lined out.
Buxton led off the sixth with a double, followed by a Martin single with Buxton advancing to third. That would end Valdez’s night. He finished going five innings, allowing seven runs on ten hits; he walked two and struck out two. Enmanuel De Jesus relieved him. The Tigers picked off Martin stealing second, but Buxton would score, and that made 8-2 Twins. The Twins would load the bases as Ryan Jeffers walked, Caratini singled, and Josh Bell, on a challenge, would walk. De Jesus struck out Wallner to escape the jam.
Last Three
The Tigers inched a little closer in the seventh. Javier Baez led off with a single, then Minnesota recorded an out before Kevin McGonigle singled to make it first and second. Torres doubled home Baez and McGonigle to make it 8-4. Jahmai Jones, pinch-hitting for Carpenter, struck out, then Riley Greene singled, bringing home Torres to make it 8-5. Dingler then singled, and Greene reached third. Greene then scored on a wild pitch to make it 8-6. Meadows would strike out looking to end the inning. The Tigers had the tying run on first base in the eighth and ninth innings but the Twins were able to get out of both innings to hold on and win the game. They’ll look to complete the sweep this afternoon.
Player of the Game
Byron Buxton caused issues all night for the Tigers. He went 3-4 with a double and three runs scored.
