TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, TBS, FSN Detroit, FSN North (Minnesota) PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers LH Matt Boyd (5-4, 4.43 ERA) vs. Twins LH Hector Santiago (12-8, 4.65) Boyd dropped two straight starts after going more than two months without a loss, although he was sharp at the Chicago White Sox with seven innings of two-run ball on September 6.
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Dozier had a lonely leadoff single in the bottom of the first and stole second base with none out, only to be stranded. Kepler walked in the second inning and was quickly caught stealing. In eight games at Target Field, McCann is 15-for-32 with three homers and 11 RBIs. He gave up a three-run shot into second deck above left-center in a four-run sixth to McCann. Cabrera hit his 442nd homer Tuesday, tying him with Dave Kingman for 41st on the all-time list.2. McCann was the Tigers’ designated hitter Tuesday with Victor Martinez out.
In the fourth inning, Cabrera legged out a double (barely beating the throw) and tagged up and advanced to third on a fly (in another very close play). The hulking power hitter hustled to advance a base on a flyout to medium-range center field.
Brian Dozier had a first-inning single to extend his hitting streak to 23 games, but the Twins lost their fourth game in a row. As soon as third baseman Eduardo Escobar threw to first, Cabrera turned and ran home. “I don’t know if you ever see that”, Molitor said. Justin Upton followed with a ground ball to third base, which chased Cabrera back to the bag.
“I think he caught everybody off guard”, Santiago said.
Minnesota Twins left fielder Robbie Grossman watches as his home run clears the fence for the Twins’ only score against the Detroit Tigers in the seventh inning at Target Field on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2016.
“It’s just one of those things where he keeps finding a way to get it done”, said Molitor, who was booed when he pulled Dozier for a pinch hitter in the ninth. After a rough start that led to his demotion to Triple-A in May, Rosario rebounded and became one of nine Twins players to reach 10 home runs.
Santiago cruised through the first 2 2/3 innings, striking out five of the first eight batters he faced until Andrew Romine singled for Detroit’s first hit of the game. Molitor said 3B Miguel Sano (lower back tightness) took batting practice and fielded grounders on Tuesday. Mauer was given another rest for his ailing quadriceps. Minnesota (55-95) returns home following a seven-game road trip that started with a promising four-game split at Detroit before unraveling in a three-game sweep by the New York Mets and appears headed for its first 100-loss season since 1982. The Tigers defeated the Twins 8-1.
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Michael Tonkin came on in relief of Santiago and allowed two runs on four hits.
