Javier Baez and Spencer Torkelson each had two hits, two RBIs and two runs scored to help the Detroit Tigers to an 8-4 win against the Minnesota Twins in the opener of their four-game series on Thursday night in Minneapolis, Minn
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Matt Vierling contributed three hits and a walk for the Tigers, who snapped a two-game losing streak
Detroit starter Matthew Boyd (4-5) allowed four runs and seven hits in six innings. He struck out eight and walked one.
Twins starter Sonny Gray was staked to a 4-1 lead after two innings, but was lifted after four. He was tagged for two runs and three hits, striking out three and walking four on 79 pitches
Gray is winless in his past eight starts (0-1) after going 4-0 in April with a 0.77 ERA.
Donovan Solano belted a three-run homer for Minnesota, which had won four of five.
Vierling’s RBI single gave Detroit a 1-0 lead in the second inning.
The Twins came back with four runs in their half of the second
Willi Castro’s RBI single with two outs tied it 1-1. Solano then stepped up with runners on the corners and lifted a 2-2 pitch over the fence in left-center field for a 4-1 lead.
The four-run inning marked the fifth straight game in which the Twins have scored at least four runs in an inning
After the first three batters reached base in the fourth for the Tigers, Miguel Cabrera grounded into a double play to score a run and make it 4-2, but Gray escaped without further damage
Jovani Moran (0-2) replaced Gray in the fifth and surrendered a pair of one-out singles before Baez tripled into the left-center field gap to tie the score 4-4.
Baez then came on a ground out by Eric Haase to move Detroit ahead 5-4.
Torkelson gave the Tigers some insurance with a two-run double in the ninth to stretch the lead to 7-4
Zack Short then doubled home Torkelson to make it 8-4.
–Field Level Media
