RECAP: Vargas drives in 5 of #MNTwins’ 12 runs in Game 1 rout of Tigers. http://t.co/YEulrQ9uPB pic.twitter.com/ZVeRYnuwEO
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) August 23, 2014
The Twins picked up where they left off Friday night, pounding the Detroit Tigers in a 12-4 win on Saturday afternoon in the first game of a split doubleheader at Target Field, according to MLB.com. But they dropped the second game 8-6.
Game 1
Minnesota scored 20 runs Friday night — the first team in the majors this season to do so. They chased Tigers pitcher Buck Farmer after just 1-1/3 innings Saturday afternoon, scoring six runs in the second, the Star Tribune reports.
Kennys Vargas had a career-high five RBIs, while Joe Mauer and Jordan Schafer added three RBIs apiece. Eduardo Escobar also picked up three hits, after getting a career-high five Friday night.
Minnesota scored one run in the first inning, then exploded for six more in the second.
Minnesota loaded the bases with nobody out and Schafer brought home three runs with a triple. Mauer brought two runners home on a double to left field, and Vargas doubled off Tigers reliever Pat McCoy to put the Twins up 7-0 early in the game.
The Twins added to their lead with two more runs in the third inning. But the Tigers rallied for three runs in the fifth inning, on three straight singles, which closed the Twins’ lead to 9-4. All three runs were unearned, though, because of a throwing error by Dozier on a force out play at second base.
The Twins brought home another three runs in the seventh off an RBI double by Vargas, who has 22 RBIs in 21 games, according to MLB.com.
Twins starter Yohan Pino pitched five innings, giving up four runs (one earned) on six hits and two walks to get his second career big league win.
Game 2
RECAP: #MNTwins’ comeback effort falls short as they fall to Tigers, 8-6. http://t.co/7Fuj2eKhD8 pic.twitter.com/SoJE9vpasp
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) August 24, 2014
Detroit had the hot bats in game 2, pounding out 17 hits including three each from Torii Hunter and J.D. Martinez, to take the nightcap 8-6.
Twins rookie Trevor May couldn’t protect a two-run lead in his third career start — and third loss this season.
Trevor Plouffe led the offense for the Twins with three hits, including two doubles against the Tigers’ Justin Verlander. He now has 36 doubles on the season, according to MLB.com.
Joe Nathan notched his 27th save for Detroit in 32 attempts. Verlander (11-11) improved to 5-0 in seven career starts at Target Field.
With the Saturday afternoon loss, the Tigers dropped to three games behind first-place Kansas City in the AL Central. They also fell a game behind Seattle for the second wild-card spot.
