Tigers 10, Twins 7: Ronny Rodriguez leads Tigers attack in win

The Detroit Tigers did some things they haven’t done very often, and it helped them get something they haven’t gotten often this season: a win at home. Thanks to a seven-run third inning, the Tigers were able to stave off the Minnesota Twins to win on Saturday, 10-7. The Twins hit six home runs in the game, tying them with the 2018 New York Yankees for the most home runs hit by one team in an MLB season.

Things didn’t start off feeling like it would be a good day for the Tigers. Twins catcher and leadoff hitter Mitch Garver put the second pitch of the game over the wall for an early 1-0 lead. The Tigers would get that run right back in the bottom of the inning thanks to a sacrifice fly from Ronny Rodriguez. But the Twins would take the lead right back on — what else? — a second inning home run by Max Kepler.

Then we came to the bottom of the third inning and things got fun. With one out, Victor Reyes drove a ball to the right field corner that Ehire Adrianza bobbled, lost, and then nonchalantly went over to grab, allowing Reyes to hustle out a triple.

Here’s what followed next.

Wow, that was fun. In that seven run third inning, the Tigers:

• Set a season high for hits in an inning (7)
• Batted around for the fourth time this year
• Had eight consecutive batters reach base safely since 2014
• Every batters for the Tigers reached base safely tonight.

Meanwhile, Matthew Boyd once again struck out a ton of batters but struggled with the long ball. His final line was one of impressive whiffs and groanful mistakes: six innings pitched, six hits, five earned runs, one walk, 11 strikeouts, and four home runs allowed.

The silver lining? He joined some elite company on Saturday.

Fortunately, Ronny Rodriguez gave Boyd back some of those runs, as he launched his second home run of the night, in the seventh. It was another two run shot, though it was originally ruled a triple until the umpires looked at the replay. That put the Tigers back in front by five.

Things got tense in the bottom of the eighth. Buck Farmer took over for Gregory Soto and was greeted with a solo blast from Nelson Cruz into the second row of shrubbery in center field. Farmer then allowed a double, but got the next three batters to strike out.

Unfortunately, the last strikeout was a passed ball by John Hicks, one he was unable to find it in time to throw the runner out. A walk to the next batter to load the bases would end the night for Farmer. Jose Cisnero came on and, on a full count, would strike out pinch hitter Luis Arrez on this beautiful call from home plate umpire Jose Torres.

Joe Jimenez came on in the bottom of the ninth and promptly gave up the record-breaking single season team home run blast, the Twins’ 268th home run in 2019, to Mitch Garver. But Jimenez held on to seal the 10-7 win for the home team. It was the first time in Twins history they hit six home runs in a game, and lost.

Nope. not feeling sorry for them at all.

Stats of the Game:

Mission accomplished.