Read the Twins side (the whole game, score included)
Minnesota at Detroit
This is Missed It. Minnesota at Detroit, Monday, September 7, 78 and partly cloudy at Comerica Park, with the Twins. You missed it? Here's the whole game, as it happened.
Pregame
It's a new day in the Motor City, and we've got a good one brewing. The Minnesota Twins are in town to take on the Detroit Tigers. We're just minutes from first pitch, the bats are loose, the gloves are oiled, and both sides are ready to go to work. We've got a full nine innings ahead of us, and you know we're looking to come out on top. Let's play ball.
Top 1: We Strike First
We're off and running here in the first. The Twins come out swinging, and it doesn't take long for the bats to get going. With one out and two runners on base, Ryan Jeffers steps in. The pitch comes, and Jeffers makes contact, sending a ground ball toward shortstop John Peck. It's a fielder's choice, but the runner on third, Luke Keaschall, is off with the contact. He breaks for home, and he's going to make it. Keaschall scores, and just like that, we've got ourselves a one-nothing lead. Brooks Lee moves to third on the play, and we've got runners on the corners with one out. That's how you start a ballgame. We're up early, and the energy in this one is already electric.
Bot 1: McGonigle Answers Back
Well, that lead didn't last long. The Tigers come up in the bottom of the first, and with one out and nobody on, Kevin McGonigle digs in. He gets a pitch he likes, and he doesn't miss it. McGonigle sends a fly ball deep to right field, and that ball is gone. A solo homer, and just like that, we're tied at one apiece. You hate to give it right back, but credit to McGonigle, he got all of that one. The Tigers have answered, and now we've got ourselves a ballgame. One to one, and we're just getting started here.
Top 2: A Quiet Frame
The Twins come back up in the top of the second, looking to answer. But the Tigers' pitcher settles in and keeps our bats quiet. We go down in order, four batters come up, and we can't push anything across. No runs, no damage, and we're still knotted up at one. Sometimes you just have to tip your cap and move on. We'll get another crack at it.
Bot 2: The Tigers Break Through
This is where things get a little dicey. The bottom of the second, and the Tigers are looking to build on that early homer. With no outs and the bases empty, Zach McKinstry steps in and rips a line drive to right field. Luke Keaschall gives chase, but that ball gets by him, and McKinstry is hauling around the bases. A triple, and the Tigers have a runner on third with nobody out. That's a momentum swing, and you can feel the tide turning. Then, with one out and the bases loaded, Colt Keith gets plunked. McKinstry scores, and now it's two to one. But they're not done. Kevin McGonigle comes up again, and he hits a ground ball to first baseman Royce Lewis. Lewis fields it, but the throw is off, and it's a fielder's choice with a throwing error. Max Clark scores, and now it's three to one. The Tigers have broken this thing open, and we're suddenly playing from behind.
Top 3: Nothing Doing
We need an answer, and we need it now. The Twins come up in the top of the third, and we're looking to chip away at this deficit. But the Tigers' pitcher is dealing. We send five batters to the plate, but we can't get anything going. No runs, no real threats, and we're still down three to one. It's early, but we need to find a spark, and we need to find it soon.
Bot 3: A Much-Needed Shutdown
After a rough couple of innings, we finally get a clean frame. The Tigers come up in the bottom of the third, and our pitcher sets them down in order. Three batters, three outs, no runs. That's exactly what we needed. We're still down three to one, but we've stopped the bleeding, and now it's time for the bats to wake up.
Top 4: Larnach Goes Yard
There it is. That's the spark we've been looking for. The Twins come up in the top of the fourth, and with one out and nobody on, Trevor Larnach steps in. He gets a pitch he can handle, and he sends it deep to right field. That ball is gone. A solo homer, and just like that, we've cut the lead to one. Three to two, and we're right back in this thing. Larnach came up big when we needed him, and now the dugout is alive again. We've got life, and we're coming for this lead.
Bot 4: Keeping the Pressure On
We've got the momentum now, and we need to keep it. The Tigers come up in the bottom of the fourth, and our pitcher is locked in. Three batters, three outs, no runs. We've held them, and now it's time for the offense to keep chipping away. We're down by one, but we've got all the momentum in the world.
Top 5: A Missed Opportunity
We come up in the top of the fifth, and we're looking to tie this thing up. But the Tigers' pitcher is up to the task. We send four batters to the plate, but we can't push anything across. No runs, and we're still down three to two. It's frustrating, but we're still in this. We just need one break, one big hit, and we're right back in it.
Bot 5: Greene Delivers a Blow
This one hurts. The bottom of the fifth, and the Tigers are looking to add some insurance. With one out and a runner on, Riley Greene steps in. He gets a pitch he likes, and he sends it deep to right field. That ball is gone. A two-run homer, and just like that, the Tigers have stretched their lead to five to two. Gleyber Torres scores on the play, and we're suddenly staring at a three-run deficit. That's a gut punch, but we've been here before. We've got fight in us.
Top 6: Jenkins Comes Through
We're down, but we're not out. The top of the sixth, and we're looking to claw our way back. With two outs and two runners on, Walker Jenkins steps in. The pitch comes, and Jenkins rips a sharp line drive to center field. Max Clark gives chase, but that ball gets by him. Trevor Larnach scores, Kaelen Culpepper scores, and just like that, we've cut the lead to one. Five to four, and we've got the tying run in scoring position. But then, with the bases loaded and two outs, Kody Clemens steps in. He takes a called third strike, and the inning is over. We leave the bases loaded, and we're still down one. That one hurts, but we're still in this fight.
The Sequence: The Final Push
This is it. This is where the game is decided. We're down by one, five to four, and we've got nine outs to find a way to tie this thing up or take the lead. The bottom of the sixth, and the Tigers come up looking to add on. Our pitcher holds them. Four batters, no runs, and we're still down one. The top of the seventh, and we need an answer. Three batters come up, and we can't get anything going. No runs, and we're still down one. The bottom of the seventh, and the Tigers are looking to put this thing away. Our pitcher holds them again. Four batters, no runs, and we're still down one. The top of the eighth, and this is our chance. Ryan Kreidler leads off with a walk, and we've got a runner on with nobody out. We need to move him, we need to get him home. With two outs and a runner on, Luke Keaschall steps in. He hits a ground ball to second baseman Javier Báez, but it's deflected by pitcher Drew Sommers. Keaschall beats it out for a single, and Walker Jenkins moves to third. We've got runners on the corners with two outs. This is it. This is the moment. Brooks Lee steps in, and he's looking to be the hero. The pitch comes, and Lee flies out to right fielder Zach McKinstry. The inning is over. We leave two runners on, and we're still down one. The bottom of the eighth, and the Tigers are three outs away. Our pitcher holds them. Four batters, no runs, and we're still down one. The top of the ninth. This is our last chance. Three batters come up, and we can't get anything going. No runs. The game is over.
Wrap-up
Final score, five to four. The Tigers take this one by a single run. We had our chances. We left runners on base, we left the bases loaded in the sixth, and we couldn't get that one big hit when we needed it most. It's a tough loss, no question about it. But this team has fight, and we're going to keep fighting. We'll be back at it tomorrow, and we're going to find a way to get back in the win column. For now, we tip our caps to the Tigers, and we move on.
Outro
That was Minnesota at Detroit, from the Twins side. This has been Missed It. Every game, both sides, at missed it dot net. Produced by James Barrett.