MINNEAPOLIS — Two missed plays defensively and one big missed offensive opportunity were at the heart of the Tigers' 5-3 loss to the Minnesota Twins Thursday night.
A loss that blunted a strong outing by rookie left-hander Tarik Skubal.
The Twins came into the game leading baseball with 42 home runs off left-handed pitching. And Skubal’s 17 homers allowed ranked third in the American League. Some fireworks were predictable.
Catcher Ryan Jeffers ended a string of 13 straight outs by Skubal with a solo homer in the fifth. Then Miguel Sano blasted a solo home run leading off the seventh that tied the game 3-3.
Skubal, who was at 90 pitches with no outs in the seventh, gave up a single to Max Kepler but got Gilberto Celestino to hit a chopper to shortstop Zack Short. Short flipped to Willi Castro at second.
Castro, in his haste to throw to first and complete a double-play, took his foot off the bag at second before he had the ball. Both runners were safe, both ended up scoring — one on a wild pitch by Jose Cisnero and the other on a sacrifice fly.
Those runs, unearned, were the margin of victory for Minnesota.
A failed double-play opportunity cost the Tigers and Skubal a run in the sixth inning, too. Up 3-1, Jorge Polanco dropped a bunt for a hit and Skubal walked Josh Donaldson with one out.
Skubal got Nelson Cruz to bounce one to Jeimer Candelario at third; a potential inning-ending double-play. But instead of tagging the bag at third and throwing across the diamond, Candelario threw to second and Castro's relay to first was late.
Left-handed hitting Trevor Larnach followed with an RBI single to left to make it a 3-2 game.
Eric Haase put the Tigers up 2-0 in the fourth with his 13th home run of the season, a two-run shot. Haase got a wheelhouse fastball (91 mph) from Twins starter J.A. Happ and hooked it inside the foul pole in left field — a 408-foot drive.
They missed a chance to blow it open in the top of the sixth.
Three straight singles that fell in front of Twins outfielders — by Jonathan Schoop, Haase and Miguel Cabrera — set the table. After Candelario was called out on a borderline pitch, Happ walked Short, whom he struck out twice previously, to force in a run.
Still only one out, Happ got Castro to hit into a double-play.
The Tigers didn't put another run on base after the sixth.
