Twins use long ball to top Tigers 8-5
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Miguel Sano’s three-run homer capped a five-run rally in the fifth inning, Jake Cave and Max Kepler also connected and the AL Central-leading Minnesota Twins beat the Detroit Tigers 8-5 Saturday night.
Sano and Cave both homered twice Friday night in a 9-6 loss to the Tigers, who have the worst record in the league. The Twins trailed 4-1 in this game before their comeback.
Cave led off the fifth with a double, Kepler doubled home a run and Nelson Cruz hit an RBI single. Sano pulled his 26th homer into the second deck in left off Edwin Jackson (3-7).
Cave hit a two-run homer in the sixth off Matt Hall. Kepler had three hits, including his 35th home run and sixth leadoff shot of the season.
Kyle Gibson (12-6) allowed the leadoff batter to reach in all six innings he pitched, and received 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. He won for the first time since Aug. 3.
Taylor Rogers, in his first appearance since Aug. 18, secured the final five outs for his 20th save. He escaped a two-on, one-out jam in the eighth before striking out the side in the ninth.
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.
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