Riley Greene’s second run-scoring single snapped a seventh inning tie Tuesday night as the Detroit Tigers rallied for a 5-3 win over the Minnesota Twins in Minneapolis.
Greene’s hit keyed a three-run rally that erased a 3-2 deficit and made a winner of reliever Jason Foley (1-0), who pitched a scoreless sixth for his first MLB win. Andrew Chafin and Joe Jimenez followed with one scoreless inning each, and Gregory Soto locked down the ninth to earn his 20th save in 22 chances.
Griffin Jax (5-3) got just one out in the seventh, allowing three hits and all three Detroit runs to absorb the loss. However, Minnesota maintained its one-game lead over Cleveland in the AL Central because the Guardians fell 6-3 at home to Arizona.
Eric Haase started the Tigers’ key outburst with a leadoff single in the seventh off Jax. After an out, Jonathan Schoop walked and Akil Baddoo singled to right, scoring Haase from second. Greene’s sharp single to left knocked out Jax and Javier Baez greeted reliever Trevor Megill with an RBI single that plated Baddoo.
Minnesota initiated scoring in the third against starter Matt Manning. Mark Contreras launched his first career homer to right and Nick Gordon made it 2-0 with a sacrifice fly to shallow left that scored Luis Arraez.
Chris Archer nursed that lead into the fifth but left after Schoop laced a one-out double to the left field corner that plated Willi Castro. Greene evened the score at 2 by ripping an RBI double into the right field corner.
The Twins grabbed a 3-2 lead in their half of the fifth when Gordon lined his second sac fly to right, chasing Carlos Correa home.
Neither starter was involved in the decision. Manning toiled five innings, allowing five hits and three runs with four walks and one strikeout. Archer pitched 4 1/3 innings, permitting two hits and two runs while walking three and fanning eight.
Greene and Baez each collected two of Detroit’s seven hits.
–Field Level Media