Sano And Cave Homer Again, Twins Overcome Tigers 8-5
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The first four innings Saturday night certainly weren't pristine for the Minnesota Twins and starting pitcher Kyle Gibson. Too many groundballs found holes. And Twins infielders failed to make several plays behind him.
But Gibson kept the game within reach until the Twins hitters solved veteran Tigers starter Edwin Jackson. Miguel Sano's three-run homer capped a five-run rally in the fifth inning as the AL Central leaders rallied past Detroit 8-5.
"That's what our offense does," said Gibson (12-6). "As a starting pitcher, we know we have room for error. It's our job to go out there and just keep it close, and give the offense a chance to strike whenever they're ready."
Max Kepler added three hits for the Twins, including his 35th home run. Jake Cave also connected.
Sano and Cave both homered twice Friday night in a 9-6 loss to the Tigers, who have the worst record in the league. They kept slugging away as the Twins overcame an early 4-1 deficit.
Gibson allowed the leadoff batter to reach in all six innings he pitched while receiving limited help from his defense.
A fielding error by second baseman Luis Arraez led to the second of two Tigers runs in the second, and Dawel Lugo slid headfirst to score on a botched rundown in the two-run third. Gibson struck out eight in 5 1/3 innings while charged with five runs, four earned.
"That's what makes everything that happened after that impressive, because our guys didn't let that affect them going forward in the game," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. "We continued to make the plays and pitch well and have good at-bats, and eventually found a way to win."
Kepler's sixth leadoff homer left him two short of Brian Dozier's 2017 club record. Jackson held the Twins scoreless from there until the fifth, when Cave's leadoff double started the rally. Kepler doubled in one run and Nelson Cruz singled in another before Sano pulled Jackson's first pitch into the second deck in left, his 26th homer.
"I go up ready to hit — fastball, slider, changeup, whatever they throw," Sano said. "He threw me a cookie in the middle. I saw that pitch right down the middle and I was ready to swing."
Jackson (3-7), who has pitched for a major league record 14 teams, allowed six earned runs in five innings in his first career start at Target Field.
"Any time a team comes out and gives me three or four runs, then I feel like I should be able to keep that game in control, which I didn't do tonight," Jackson said. "That game was on me. I take full responsibility for it."
Taylor Rogers, in his first appearance since Aug. 18, secured the final five outs for his 20th save, working out of a two-on, one-out jam in the eighth.
Tigers rookie shortstop and top prospect Willi Castro, called up from Triple-A Toledo earlier in the day, went 2 for 4 with a double in his major league debut.
"It's a dream come true, something that I always wanted since a little kid," Castro said. "And we're here."
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