It wasn’t easy — nothing has been for the Twins this season — but finally, a week after they won their last game, the Twins got themselves back in the win column.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – APRIL 20: Byron Buxton #25 of the Minnesota Twins hits a double against the Detroit Tigers in the second inning at Target Field on April 20, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
They used another solid start from Bailey Ober — he retired the first 13 batters before allowing a Tiger to reach base — and just enough offense, scoring three runs on sacrifice flies, to capture a 4-3 win over Detroit on Saturday afternoon at Target Field.
Ober, who threw six scoreless innings against Detroit last week, looked just as good on Saturday, working efficiently through the Tigers’ lineup. He got eight of the first nine batters to fly or line out, and started collecting strikeouts later on, finishing with six.
The only run Ober allowed came in his last inning when he walked Riley Greene with a pair of outs and then allowed a Wenceel Pérez triple to bring him home.
He was pitching with a lead for most of the day as the Twins turned productive outs into runs, getting baserunners on, moving them over and then bringing them home on sacrifice flies from Willi Castro and Ryan Jeffers in the second and third innings.
The Twins took advantage of some shaky Tigers defense in the fifth inning, putting another pair of runs on the board to give them a four-run lead.
Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton (25) reacts after hitting a double during the second inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Saturday, April 20, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Stacy Bengs)
But the Tigers chipped away, scoring a run in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings as the Twins made their way through the end of the game using contributions from Steven Okert, Cole Sands, Kody Funderburk, Matt Bowman and finally Griffin Jax, who nailed down the save.
Leave a Reply