MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The body blows kept coming and the Tigers kept standing. Finally, in the 12th inning, Spencer Torkelson delivered a haymaker.
His 21st home run, a two-run shot into the second deck in left field triggered a five-run outburst, sending the Tigers to a much-needed, series-salvaging, 11-6 win over the Minnesota Twins at Target Field Wednesday (Sept. 2).
It was Torkelson's first homer since July 29, when he hit an 11th inning walk-off at Comerica Park against the Orioles.
Twins right-hander Tommy Nance unraveled from there. The Tigers loaded the bases with two outs on a single, an intentional walk and a hit-batter (John Peck, who took one off the helmet). Javier Baez emptied the bases with a three-run bloop double.
The Tigers took a 5-2 lead into the eighth inning, six outs away from ending a three-game losing streak and saving face after a pair of brutal blowout losses.
The Twins took advantage of a walk and a hit batter to score three runs and tie the game.
But the battered Tigers stayed on their feet long enough to get to the 11th inning. Max Clark, who had doubled twice earlier in the game, blooped a double down the left field line to score the free runner Ben Malgeri and break the 5-5 tie.
But, with no outs, the Tigers couldn't advance Clark, which left a skinny margin for Kyle Finnegan, who threw 25 pitches Tuesday night.
Too skinny. Luke Keaschall plated the free runner with a line drive single to right to tie the game again. But Finnegan managed, against long odds, to get the game to the 12th.
After Brooks Lee singled, moving Keaschall to third, the Tigers brought Javier Baez in from left field and went with a five-infielder alignment against former Tiger Kody Clemens. Finnegan struck out Clemens and got Ryan Jeffers to ground out, ending the inning.
Finnegan was a soldier, though. He pitched a clean 12th to lock it down.
The Tigers were running out of pitchers. They used Kenley Jansen and Tyler Holton to get through the eighth and ninth. Jacob Waguespack, who threw 21 pitches on Tuesday night, got the final out in the ninth and stranded the free runner at second base striking out Royce Lewis and getting Kaelen Culpepper to fly out to the wall in right.
In the pivotal eighth, lefty Drew Sommers loaded the bases — singles by Brooks Lee and Josh Bell with a HBP to Clemens — and got just one out. Jansen entered and walked pinch-hitter Victor Caratini to force in one run.
Lewis followed, hitting a ball 97.9 mph that shortstop John Peck couldn't field. Two runs scored and the Tigers lead was gone.
The topic before the game was the impact all these recent losses might have on the Tigers' crop of eight rookies, most of whom have made their debut during this ugly stretch.
