The Detroit Tigers return to Target Field on Tuesday night looking for a response against the Minnesota Twins. First pitch is scheduled for 7:40 p.m. ET in Minneapolis.
Detroit enters the second game of the series at 63-74 after suffering an 11-1 loss in Monday’s opener. The Tigers were held to five hits while Minnesota launched four home runs. Hao-Yu Lee produced Detroit’s only run with a 439-foot solo homer in the sixth inning.
The defeat was Detroit’s 10th in its last 12 games.
Troy Melton offers Detroit a chance to reset
The Tigers will hand the ball to Troy Melton, who enters with a 7-3 record, 1.86 ERA and 1.01 WHIP. The right-hander has recorded 80 strikeouts over 97 innings and provides Detroit with a significant opportunity to stabilize the series.
Minnesota will counter with Andrew Morris. The Twins right-hander owns a 4-7 record, 3.82 ERA and 1.34 WHIP with 59 strikeouts over 63 2/3 innings.
The official pitching matchup gives Detroit an advantage on paper, but the Tigers must provide Melton with more offensive support than Jackson Jobe received Monday.
Detroit’s offense needs an early response
The Tigers never recovered after Minnesota scored first in the series opener. Detroit went scoreless through five innings and failed to build sustained pressure against Taj Bradley.
Kevin McGonigle, Dillon Dingler and Spencer Torkelson will be central to Detroit’s attempt to change the tone Tuesday. Dingler leads the Tigers with 26 home runs and 82 RBIs, while McGonigle carries a team-best .274 batting average into the matchup.
Getting runners on base early and forcing Morris to work from the stretch would help prevent another low-stress night for the Minnesota pitching staff.
Keeping Minnesota in the ballpark
Ryan Jeffers homered twice Monday, while Kody Clemens and Walker Jenkins also went deep. Jenkins’ eighth-inning blast was the first home run of his major-league career.
Melton must limit free passes and keep the Twins from producing another power-driven scoring surge. Detroit’s defense also needs a cleaner performance after committing two errors in the opener.
With Minnesota leading the series 1-0, Tuesday’s game gives the Tigers an immediate opportunity to answer one of their most difficult losses of the season and force a rubber match Wednesday night.
Game information
- Matchup: Detroit Tigers at Minnesota Twins
- First pitch: 7:40 p.m. ET
- Venue: Target Field, Minneapolis
- Probable pitchers: Troy Melton vs. Andrew Morris
- TV: Detroit SportsNet and MLB.TV
- Radio: 97.1 The Ticket
- Weather: Increasing clouds and approximately 84-86°F
- Odds: DET -1.5 (+139) | O/U 8.5 | DET -120
- Series: Minnesota leads 1-0
