Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - Alex Avila knocked in three runs and scored
twice as the Detroit Tigers hammered the Minnesota Twins, 10-6, in the opener
of a three-game series at Target Field.
Prince Fielder and Brennan Boesch each added three hits, two RBI and scored
twice for the Tigers, who snapped a three-game slide.
Drew Smyly (2-1) allowed four runs -- three earned -- on six hits and two
walks through five-plus innings to earn the win.
Anthony Swarzak (0-4) gave up six runs on nine hits and a walk in just 3 2/3
innings. Brian Dozier and Jamey Carroll both knocked in a pair of runs for
Minnesota, which dropped its third straight game.
Smyly almost escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first inning when he got Justin
Morneau to line out to short for the frame's second out, but Dozier followed
with a two-run double to left, scoring Denard Span and Joe Mauer to give the
Twins a 2-0 lead.
The lead, though, was short-lived as Fielder led off the second with a single,
moved to second on Delmon Young's base hit and crossed the plate on a double
high off the right-center field wall by Boesch.
Two batters later, Avila sent the 10th pitch of his at-bat into the right-
center field gap to bring home Young and Boesch. Quintin Berry stepped up next
and singled in Avila to put Detroit on top, 4-2.
After Minnesota stranded the tying runs on second and third in the bottom of
the second, the Tigers added to their lead in fourth inning on a pair of
doubles by Boesch and Avila, and Ryan Raburn's two-out RBI single up the
middle, knocking Swarzak off the mound.
The Twins answered with Carroll's sacrifice fly that plated Trevor Plouffe in
the bottom of the fourth inning, but Detroit quickly got the run back in the
fifth when Fielder doubled in Miguel Cabrera to make the score 7-3.
Smyly was pulled after allowing a leadoff single to Morneau in the sixth and
Dozier followed with a grounder back to the mound that new pitcher Brayan
Villarreal fielded, but his throw to second was wide and both runners were
safe.
Plouffe then hit a bouncer to first that Fielder tossed to second for the
force out, but Villarreal could not keep his foot on first base on Jhonny
Peralta's throw back to first, placing runners on the corners with one out.
Alexi Casilla's sacrifice fly to left brought home Morneau before Plouffe
moved to second on an errant pickoff attempt by Villarreal and rounded the
bases on Carroll's base hit up the middle to bring the Twins within 7-5.
But the Tigers regained their cushion in the seventh inning when Berry bunted
for a leadoff single, stole second and later scored on Fielder's single to
center field.
Young then sent a double down the right-field line to plate Cabrera before
Boesch lifted a fly ball to shallow left field that Plouffe misplayed and had
fall just in front of his outstretched glove to score Fielder for a 10-5
margin.
Morneau's RBI groundout in the bottom of the seventh capped the scoring.
Game Notes
Detroit placed outfielder Austin Jackson on the 15-day disabled list,
retroactive to May 17, reinstated Raburn off the bereavement list and
reinstated pitcher Luis Marte off the disabled list earlier Friday...Carroll
and Twins manager Ron Gardenhire were both ejected at the end of the eighth
inning for arguing a call at first base...Detroit improved to 5-4 in games
Smyly has pitched...Minnesota fell to 2-9 in its last 11 home games against
the Tigers.
The Sports Network