MINNEAPOLIS _ Just wait. It's not what your instincts might tell you, it's not what your brain would advise. But it's the path the Twins followed to a 6-3 victory against Justin Verlander on Friday night: Just wait.
Verlander, 12-1 in his past 13 decisions against the Twins, seemed as flawless as usual for much of chilly evening at Target Field, surrendering only a pair of harmless singles through five innings. But the Twins waited him out, and it paid off. Verlander walked Max Kepler, Miguel Sano and Joe Mauer to open the sixth inning, giving the Tigers ace six free passes on the night, a total he hadn't equaled in more than a decade.
And when Robbie Grossman's perfectly placed ground ball turned into a two-run single, the Twins had waited long enough. Verlander was removed, having thrown 107 pitches, and Detroit's annually flammable bullpen was summoned. Within three batters, the Twins had taken over the game and ended their four-game losing streak.
Jason Castro grounded to second against lefty Kyle Ryan, moving Mauer and Grossman up a base. Jorge Polanco greeted hard-throwing right-hander Joe Jimenez with a looper that carried just over shortstop Andrew Romine's head, a single that scored Mauer with the tying run.
And Jimenez's next pitch was the biggest of the night. Or maybe the fattest. Eddie Rosario bashed it into the upper deck in left field, a 400-foot blast that turned Hector Santiago's latest hard-luck start into a crowd-pleasing victory. Rosario's homer was his first of the season, and a hopeful sign that his slump-ridden start may be ending.
It also handed Verlander, the 2011 MVP, his first career loss in Target Field, after a 6-0 start.
"He tries to prey off hitters' aggressiveness, especially young guys'," Twins manager Paul Molitor said before the game. "That will be the big challenge for us _ getting some of the young guys to try to slow the game down and not be intimidated by the big name on the mound. Just go out and try to have good at-bats and find a way to score some runs."
Letting Verlander do all the work turned out to be the perfect formula. Not since Aug. 16, 2006, had Verlander issued so many walks in a game.
Santiago, meanwhile, appeared headed to another loss that could have been averted. He allowed two runs in the third inning, but only because of some bad luck. After Nick Castellanos' two-out single, Miguel Cabrera lifted a popup into short right field, hugging the foul line. Brian Dozier and Mauer raced over, but it fell just out of their reach, and about a foot inside the line.
Victor Martinez followed with a hard ground ball that scooted under Polanco's glove, driving in a run, and Justin Upton doubled Cabrera home before Santiago could record the third out.
The Twins' left-hander also allowed a solo home run to James McCann, the Tigers catcher who also victimized him in Detroit 10 days ago.
