Minnesota @ Detroit preview

Last Meeting ( May 16, 2016 ) Minnesota 8, Detroit 10

Detroit Tigers manager Brad Ausmus has come under fire with the team slumping of late and let out his frustrations on the umpires on Monday. The outburst seemed to spark the team, and the Tigers will try to earn their third consecutive win when they host the Minnesota Twins in the second of a three-game series on Tuesday.

Detroit built up an 8-0 lead in the first inning on Monday only to watch the Twins storm back quickly, and Ausmus’ frustration with the strike zone resulted in an argument that ended with the manager removing his sweatshirt and draping it over home plate after being ejected. "When you get seven, eight guys coming back from home plate complaining about the strike zone, they can't all be wrong," Ausmus told reporters. The Tigers failed to score more than five runs while dropping 11 of 12 but have put up at least six in the last two wins and should continue to put pressure on a Minnesota pitching staff that has allowed the second-most runs in the American League (195). The Twins fell to 4-17 on the road with Monday’s 10-8 setback and have lost all four meetings with Detroit in 2016.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN North (Minnesota), FSN Detroit

PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Phil Hughes (1-6, 6.44 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Mike Pelfrey (0-4, 5.80)

Hughes suffered the loss in each of his last four starts and was terrible in the past three, allowing a total of 15 runs in 11 innings. The California native was ripped for three home runs in four innings against Baltimore on Wednesday and has yielded at least one blast in five of his seven outings. Hughes allowed four runs on seven hits in five innings to suffer a loss against Detroit on April 29 and is 8-9 with a 4.63 ERA in his career against the Tigers.

Pelfrey is a former rotation-mate of Hughes with the Twins and has yet to earn a win in his first season with Detroit. The 32-year-old has been nearly as bad as his former teammate of late with 12 runs and 20 hits allowed in 14 1/3 innings over his last three turns. That stretch began at Minnesota on May 1, when Pelfrey was ripped for five runs on eight hits and three walks in four innings without factoring in the decision.

WALK-OFFS

1. Tigers CF Cameron Maybin (wrist) went 2-for-2 with a walk and a stolen base in his season debut on Monday.

2. Minnesota 1B Joe Mauer is 4-for-32 in his last nine games.

3. Detroit RF J.D. Martinez is 5-for-8 with a pair of home runs in the last two games.

PREDICTION: Tigers 11, Twins 9