Minnesota Twins’ Eduardo Escobar, left, and Eddie Rosario celebrate after scoring on a Brian Dozier two-run single against the Detroit Tigers in the second inning of a baseball game in Detroit, Thursday, Sept. 15, 2016.
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Pelfrey was making his first big-league appearance since July 31 after landing on the disabled list with a lower back strain.
Polanco, a.400 hitter in limited at-bats against southpaws but a.264 batter against right-handers at game time, lined out to center when Ausmus brought left-hander Blaine Hardy after Dozier knocked out Pelfrey (4-10) with his two-run single.
The Twins took the lead in the second on Max Kepler’s RBI single, and he moved to third when Miguel Cabrera missed a pick-off attempt. Mike Pelfrey gave up four runs Thursday while getting only five outs in a 5-1 loss. “If he grounds out to third, no one is asking me about it”. He gave up five runs and nine hits with one strikeout in 3 1/3 innings during one rehab start with Triple-A Toledo on September 3.
Detroit Tigers pitcher Mike Pelfrey walks to the dugout after being relieved in the second inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins in Detroit, Thursday, Sept. 15, 2016.
For the fourth day in a row, the Tigers had a Rio Olympic medalist throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
Milwaukee starter Jimmy Nelson (8-14) threw six innings of three-run ball to earn the win. He had a pinch-hit single in the ninth.
The Tigers went on to lose, 5-1, to the Minnesota Twins at Comerica Park.
The Twins extended their lead to 5-1 in the ninth, on an RBI single to left by Byron Buxton.
Second-place Detroit is still on the fringes for the second wild-card spot in the American League and enters a weekend series against first-place Cleveland nearly needing a three-game sweep to retain serious hopes of overtaking the Indians in the AL Central. He walked Tyler Collins, but Andrew Romine flew out to the track in right, stranding two more runners. Fellow rookie Alex Wimmers came on to get the next six outs. In the last three games of the Twins series, Pelfrey, Anibal Sanchez and Matt Boyd combined to allow 17 runs in 9 1/3 innings.
– The Tigers stranded a pair of baserunners in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings, advancing a runner past second base just once.
Hardy didn’t allow a run over 3 1/3 innings of relief for the Tigers. Rookie of the Year favourite Michael Fulmer (10-6, 2.76 ERA) goes up against Cy Young Award candidate Corey Kluber (16-9, 3.05) in the opener.
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Twins: Travel to NY for a three-game weekend series against the Mets. C Kurt Suzuki is not likely to play for the Twins until this weekend after suffering a five-stitch cut on his chin Wednesday night.
