Field Level Media
Aug 9, 2023
Spencer Torkelson hit a pair of homers and scored three runs and the host Detroit Tigers defeated the Minnesota Twins 9-5 on Wednesday.
Matt Vierling had three hits, scored two runs and drove in another. Miguel Cabrera, Zach McKinstry and Eric Haase also supplied three hits apiece for the Tigers, who will go for the series win in Thursday's finale.
Detroit starter Alex Faedo gave up three runs and four hits in 4 2/3 innings. Tyler Holton (1-2) tossed 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief and was credited with his first major league win. Jose Cisnero struck out Carlos Correa with the bases loaded for his second save.
Joey Gallo hit a two-run homer and Correa added a solo shot for Minnesota, which will try to salvage a four-game split on Thursday. Twins starter Bailey Ober (6-6) allowed five runs (four earned) and 11 hits while striking out nine in five innings.
The Tigers scored twice in the first. Riley Greene drew a one-out walk and advanced on a Vierling single. With two down, Kerry Carpenter smacked a single to right to bring home Greene. Max Kepler misplayed the ball, allowing Vierling to score.
Correa led off the second with a 421-foot blast over the center field wall. Ryan Jeffers ripped a two-out double before Gallo drilled a fastball into the right field stands.
The Tigers regained the advantage in the bottom of the inning. McKinstry had a bloop double and moved to third on Haase's single. With two outs, Greene slapped a single to center to score McKinstry. Vierling followed with another single to score Haase.
Torkelson made it 5-3 in the fifth with his first long ball of the contest, an opposite-field blast.
The Twins scored a run in the sixth. Matt Wallner was hit by a pitch and Willi Castro knocked him in with a double.
Torkelson clobbered his team-high 17th homer in the seventh off Jordan Balazovic, which cleared the left-center field wall. The Tigers added another run in the inning on singles by Cabrera, McKinstry and Haase.
Detroit tacked on two more runs in the eighth. Vierling hit a one-out triple and Torkelson walked. A wild pitch brought home Vierling, and Torkelson scored on Carpenter's infield hit, along with an error by Balazovic.
--Field Level Media