DOUBLE DOWNER
Detroit drops both ends of a twin bill to Minnesota Sevenrun 12th inning dooms Detroit, 11-5
Four extra-inning games in the first 13 of the season? Why not. In the first game of a doubleheader after a late night, rain-delayed victory Friday night? Sure.
The Tigers are becoming gluttons for the drama.
This one took three extra innings to sort out, but the Minnesota Twins ended up blowing it open with seven runs in the top of the 12th to beat the Tigers 11-5 in Game 1 at Comerica Park. It was the first extra-inning loss of the season for the Tigers.
“We play over 100 games in a season,” Tigers starter Kenta Maeda said through interpreter Daichi Sekizaki. “Games like this do happen from time to time. What’s important is the next one. As long as we can get that next one, we’re going to get right back to it.”
The top of the 12th, though, was a disaster.
Alex Lange walked Austin Martin with the bases loaded to force in the go-ahead run. But then he bowed his neck and punched out Edouard Julien and Carlos Santana and seemed to be out of the inning when Ryan Jeffers hit a ground ball to third base.
But the ball ate up third baseman Zach McKinstry and it rolled into the left-field corner. All three runners scored.
And it got worse. Lange was at 36 pitches in the inning so, with four relievers already spent and another game looming, manager AJ Hinch brought McKinstry to the mound to get the last out. He ended up walking Manuel Margo and then giving up a three-run home run to Matt Wallner.
The teams traded runs in the 11th inning.
Jeffers, whose pinch-hit home run tied the score in the eighth inning, singled home the free runner in the top of the 11th off Jason Foley to give the Twins the temporary 4-3 lead. His hit was the first allowed by a Tigers pitcher in extra innings this season.
Trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the 11th inning, rookie Colt Keith lashed a single to right field, scoring free runner Spencer Torkelson to tie the score.
Detroit was four outs away from securing its third straight win in regulation. Lefty reliever Tyler Holton got five straight outs protecting a 3-2 lead.
With two outs in the eighth inning, Twins manager Rocco Baldelli sent up right-handed hitting Jeffers to pinch-hit. Hinch countered with right-hander Shelby Miller. But Miller fell behind 0-2 and Jeffers lined a 93mph fastball 403 feet over the wall in left field, tying the score.
The homer ended Miller’s streak