Make it nine straight losses for the slumping Minnesota Twins, who blew a lead in Detroit and fell by a score of 7-6 Thursday night.
The game didn’t begin well for Twins starter Scott Diamond, as he left a pitch over the middle of the plate and Miguel Cabrera inserted the ball into the seats in left for a two-run homer in the first inning.
Josh Willingham led a comeback with a three-run homer to left in a four-run third inning. His home run, combined with an RBI groundout from Brian Dozier and run-scoring single from Joe Mauer gave the Twins the lead, 5-2.
The Tigers added one in the fifth but Willingham homered again in the seventh to put the Twins on top, 6-3.
Then, everything went wrong.
Casey Fien and Brian Duensing combined to allow four hits, a walk and a hit batsman in the seventh and the Tigers tied the game, 6-all.
Prince Fielder eventually drove in the game-winning run with a single off Jared Burton in the eighth, and Jose Valverde pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to close the game.
Before the game, Joe Mauer told the Pioneer Press that a team meeting wasn’t necessary to help pull the Twins out of their slump. Mauer said everyone is still “busting their tails and playing the game hard.”
Note: P.J. Walters is expected to be recalled in time to start Sunday’s game in Detroit. He’ll become the fifth man in the starting rotation, replacing Vance Worley, who was optioned to Triple-A Rochester Wednesday.
P.J. Walters just told me he's being promoted to #mntwins and will start this weekend. Pedro Hernandez starts for @RocRedWings on Friday.
— Jim Mandelaro (@JimMandelaro) May 24, 2013
