After dropping their previous two series, the Tigers entered Monday’s four-game set against the lowly Minnesota Twins well aware that they couldn’t afford to keep slipping – especially against an opponent they had beaten in 10 of their past 12 meetings.
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The Tigers (77-66) gained on the Baltimore Orioles, who they now trail by only one game in the American League wild card race.
After Iglesias advanced to third base on the throw home, Kinsler hit a shallow fly ball to centerfield. Shane Greene picked up the win and Francisco Rodriguez recorded his 41st save.
Athletics 16, Royals 3: Khris Davis and Marcus Semien hit three-run homers as Oakland matched a season high with 17 hits while drawing 10 walks. Alex Wimmers suffered the loss. Iglesias reached his left arm toward the plate and scored to give the Tigers a 3-2 lead.
And so it was on Monday night at Comerica Park, as Andrew Romine slid feet-first into home plate and Jose Iglesias head-first. Iglesias moved up to third on the play at home. Cabrera’s homer in the bottom of the eighth gave Detroit an insurance run.
It began with arguably the best start of Daniel Norris’ MLB career, in which he allowed just two runs on five hits with two walks and struck out a career-high 11 batters, all on swinging strikes.
Cabera drilled his 32nd homer off Taylor Rogers in the eighth.
Olympic gold medalist boxer Claressa Shields throws a ceremonial pitch before a baseball game between the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins in Detroit, Monday, Sept. 12, 2016. Harmon Killebrew was the other.
“I’m sure when the season is over, it will mean a lot more, but I just wish this was happening in (first-place) Cleveland’s position or Detroit’s position, where we were making a run”, Dozier said. The Twins have helped many a struggling offense turn things around, and Detroit averaged 8.3 runs in a three-game sweep at Minnesota last month. “That takes something away from this”.
NOTES: Detroit 3B Nick Castellanos took batting practice on Monday for the first time since he suffered a fractured left hand when hit by a pitch on August 6.
Twins: 3B Miguel Sano left the game in the seventh with lower back tightness.
Officially, he left with a left calf strain and is considered day-to-day.
Twins: Minnesota sends RHP Kyle Gibson (5-9) to the mound Tuesday night in the second game of this four-game series. Mauer is expected to sit out at least one more game with Detroit starting left-hander Matt Boyd on Tuesday.
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With the win, the Tigers improved to 11-2 against the Twins this season.
