By: Tyler Mason
MINNEAPOLIS – Grayson Greiner hit a tiebreaking homer in the eighth inning off left fielder Eddie Rosario’s glove and the Detroit Tigers rocked Minnesota’s bullpen for eight runs to beat the Twins 10-8 Sunday.
Detroit erased a four-run deficit by raking Minnesota’s relievers in the late innings. The Tigers snapped a streak of five straight losses to the Twins.
Tigers reliever Kyle Funkhouser (1-1) earned his first career win and while Bryan Garcia pitched a scoreless ninth for his first big league save.
After falling behind 6-2 after five innings, Detroit scored eight times over the next three innings. Greiner’s homer, which made it 8-7, glanced off Rosario’s glove before ending up just over the wall. Jonathan Schoop and Miguel Cabrera each drove in a run later in the inning.
Detroit scored three runs off reliever Trevor May and two against Tyler Duffey in the sixth and seventh innings before Greiner connected off Sergio Romo (1-2). The Tigers finished game with 17 hits, one shy of their season high.
Tigers third baseman Sergio Alcantara homered on the second major league pitch he faced, sending a solo shot off Rich Hill to left field in the third. Alcantara had never played above Double-A prior to his big league debut at Target Field.
Twins second baseman Luis Arraez returned to the lineup after missing four games with left patellar soreness. He hit an RBI double in the fifth that gave Minnesota a 3-2 lead.
Rosario homered in the eighth.
Tigers starter Casey Mize gave up three runs on five hits and two walks in four innings.
ROSTER MOVE
Twins reliever Zack Littell was reinstated from the injured list and optioned to Minnesota’s alternate training site. He missed time with right elbow inflammation.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Tigers: Manager Ron Gardenhire missed the game due to a stomach bug that forced him to leave Saturday’s game early. Bench coach Lloyd McClendon, who took over for Gardenhire on Saturday, managed the Tigers on Sunday.
Twins: DH Nelson Cruz didn’t play due to mild hip tightness, but the Twins said it was basically a regular day off for Cruz. The 40-year-old slugger had played in 40 of Minnesota’s 41 games prior to Sunday.
UP NEXT
Tigers: RHP Michael Fulmer (0-0, 7.27 ERA) takes to the mound Monday for his seventh outing of the year. Still working his way back from Tommy John surgery, Fulmer has not pitched more than three innings in any of his six starts this season.
Twins: RHP Michael Pineda (0-0, 3.00 ERA) will make just his second start of the season after returning this week from a 60-game suspension that began last season. Pineda allowed two runs in six innings but did not earn a decision against the White Sox in his season debut Tuesday.
*Courtesy Associated Press
