The Tigers and Twins played Game three of their series on a humid Saturday night. The Tigers had taken the first two in the four game set and were hoping to keep the roll going against the recently gutted Minnesota the Tigers was righty rookie Zebby Matthews, making his 10th start of the season. He had seen the Tigers only days prior Detroit Tigers Salute to Service Hoodies, spinning five innings of onerun ball while striking out started the game by walking Colt Keith. He struck out Gleyber Torres after starting with a 20 count, fighting his command. Kerry Carpenter worked a full count before walking, putting two on. Riley Green struck out swinging, leaving it up to Spencer Torkelson to not waste the early scoring chance. he sliced a single past the second baseman to score Keith the fifth batter putting the first ball into play. Wenceel Prez struck out swinging after working yet another full count, and that was that. They made Matthews throw 32 pitches, Mize took the mound for the Tigers. He had some mediocre to poor outings the last month, so the team could really get a boost if he could right the ship. Austin Martin greeted him with a single, but Byron Buxton struck out swinging. Dillon Dingler made a stellar throw and a scoop and tag at second got Martin trying to steal the bag. Former Tiger Kody Clemens, sporting a pencil bat on Players Weekend, grounded out to Tork to end the one out, Dingler showed he not just a defensive wizard by hitting a slowmoving chopper that the Twins infield couldn handle, getting an infield single. Trey Sweeney flew out on the first pitch, but Keith went from an 02 count to a walk, showing some great discipline. Torres grounded out, but Matthews pitch count was 49 through just two innings meaning an already stressed Minnesota bullpen may have a long had a hohum second inning, retiring the Twins 123 including two Tigers had their hitting cleats on in the third. Carp led off with a long home run to make it a 20 game. Greene smoked one off the right field wall, but the carom was handled quickly and he was held to a single. Tork walked, then Wenceel Prez flied out to Buxton in center. Buxton made a boneheaded play, throwing it towards third he had no chance of getting Greene tagging up, which allowed Tork to advance to second as well. Zach McKinstry struck out swinging, leaving it up to Dingler. He popped out, ending the again had an easy 123, striking out two swinging. He had allowed only a single baserunner and faced the minimum through three was back for the fourth, having already thrown pitches. He struck out Sweeney, but Keith doubled to right to put the Tigers right back into scoring position again. Torres struck out swinging and his slump has gotten worrisome. Carpenter flew out, and again the Tigers left people on was still dealing. An eightpitch fourth was easy as pie for the righty, having retired straight Twins went to their bullpen for the fifth, putting in righty Travis Adams. He walked Greene, allowed a long Tork single, and walked Prez. At this point in the game, the Tigers were only 19 with RISP, which is why they never broke through against Matthews even though they had plenty of baserunners. McKinstry scalded a ballright to Clemens at first, who quickly touched the plate to double off Prez. Rough break for Detroit, because if that ball got past the defender it a likely triple. Dingler lined out to end the threat, meaning the Tigers were now 1 with runners in scoring position. That a lot of Twins finally snapped their scoreless streak to start the fifth. A walk and a bloop single put two on for Matt Wallner, who struck out. Brooks Lee hit a ball deep to center that bounced off the wall, but since two outfielders Prez and Carpenter stood at the base of the wall, nobody was out far enough to play the carom, allowing Lee to take third. A sac fly brought him home and suddenly the Tigers were losing 32. Mize struck out Outman to end the inning, but the damage was led off the top of the sixth against Adams with the Tigers needing to strongly respond to that bad inning. Trey hit a ball off of the center field wall for a double. Keith struck out swinging but Torres walked, putting two on. Carpenter worked a walk as well, loading the bases and causing the Twins to go back to their bullpen, bringing in Brooks Kriske. Greene hit a sac fly that tied the game before Tork grounded out Alex Cobb Jersey, ending the threat again. 3 with RISP now, but at least the game was was back for the sixth, having thrown only 68 pitches. He was back to it, retiring the side and notching his 10th strikeout, tying a career remained on the mound for the top of the seventh. Prez dropped a hit into right center that he was able to stretch for a double by hustling. Yet another shot for the Tigers to hit with RISPwould they deliver? McKinstry grounded out, advancing the runner. Dingler battled and battled, fouling off pitches like crazy before finally taking a walk. Sweeney came up with a shot, and shoot it he did. He scalded at ball towards third base, but because the fielders were playing in, it ate up the defender and hit off his glove, scoring a run. 214 RISP and a 43 Twins had to pull Kriske, sending in Kody Funderburk. That was a mistake, as the Tigers pinchhit Jahmai Jones for Keith and he immediately doubled to left center, driving in another run. A wild pitch scored Sweeney, then a grounder to a pulledin infield led to an out at home as Jones broke for the bag. A groundout ended the frame, but suddenly it was 63 Hinch decided to keep it going by putting Mize back out there, as he still had a reasonable pitch count. He gave up a leadoff single and then a popout, then Hinch went to the bullpen. Tyler Holton was brought in to hold the Twins at bay. He immediately gave up a double to Wallner, putting the tying run at the plate. A passed ball went through Dingler wickets but bounced right back to the plate, preventing a runner from coming home. A grounder scored a run but brought on an out. That closed to book on Mize, who threw 6.1 innings with 4ER and 10Ks. Not ideal, but he really only had one bad inning and five dominant was still having a poor night, walking the next batter to put two on. A hardhit ball was snagged by a diving Tork, but Holton was late breaking to the first base bag, requiring an onhisknees Tork to make a throw to the running pitcherand Holton just whiffed on the catch, allowing the runner to reach and a run to score. Brutal error on Holton his lefthandedness was partly to blame, as he had to reach across his body to catch the ball while running. He was immediately pulled for Will Vest. He got Martin to line out. Tigers were still in the lead, but it had been trimmed down to Tonkin came in for the Twins. He started his career in Minnesota but bounced around for a few years before landing back in the MSP metro this season. He got Greene to pop one up, struck out Tork swinging, and induced a Wenceel got the first out but then allowed back to back singles for the Twins. He rebounded to strike out Ryan Jeffers, but walked Wallner to load the bases with two out. With Tigers fans everywhere on the edge of their seats, Vest got Lee to strikeout swinging, ending the frame and the Twins brought in their fifth reliever of the night, righty sidearmer Justin Topa. McKinstry singled to left to start things off, then Dingler struck out but the catcher dropped it, allowing McKinstry to advance to second. Sweeney hit a chopper right to the pitcher, who looked to third and then fired over to firstwell, he would have, if the first baseman was twenty feet tall. He airmailed the ball, allowing Sweeney to get to third even with the first baseman interfering with him. Jones singled to right center and suddenly it was 85 good measure, Jones stole second. Torres popped out for the second out. Carpenter was hit by a pitch to the ankle, a painful way to reach base. Greene struck out swinging to stop the rally, but the Cats were up by three going into the bottom of the Twins had to face Kyle Finnegan, who has pitched well since being acquired by the Tigers at the trade deadline. On defense, the Tigers pulled Carpenter hopefully as a precaution putting McKinstry in right field and Andy Ibez at third. The first batter grounded out to third. The second batter struck out. The thirdgrounded to short, where Sweeney misplayed it, allowing a baserunner, Austin Martin. Martin took second without a throw as the team focused on Buxton at the plate. Focus they did, as Finnegan got Buxton looking to end the game. Tigers win 85 and go 8.5 games up on Cleveland, who lost earlier in the Tigers will go for a fourgame sweep and fifth straight win tomorrow afternoon in the Fox broadcast, the Tigers are now 414 when getting 10+ hits and 610 when leading after the 8th inning. team also left 14 men on base, so this could have been much more of a beatdown if they come through more often with RISP. Wenceel Perez Jersey