Back-to-back home runs, Jason Foley's clutch inning lead Detroit Tigers to 6-4 win vs. Twins

A leadoff triple from Jake Marisnick jumpstarted a five-run fifth inning.

Spencer Torkelson and Kerry Carpenter, though, stole the show with back-to-back home runs.

The five-run fifth inning guided the Tigers to a 6-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Sunday at Target Field. The Twins rallied for three runs in the eighth inning, but right-handed reliever Jason Foley bailed out fellow reliever Alex Lange and stranded the bases loaded.

Foley threw 28 pitches to complete a six-out save.

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Over their past 10 games, the Tigers (30-40) are hitting .280 (99-for-353) with 17 home runs — an average of 9.9 hits and 1.7 home runs per game. In the first six games of June, the Tigers hit .124 (23-for-186) with two home runs — an average of 3.8 hits and 0.3 homers.

The improved offense helped the Tigers win three of four games against the Twins, and the powerful swings — highlighted by the back-to-back homers — were on display in the fifth inning against right-hander Louie Varland.

Torkelson, a right-handed hitter, hammered an 89.4 mph cutter on the outside part of the plate for a two-run home run, putting the Tigers ahead 3-1. The ball, tagged with a 103.5 mph exit velocity, traveled 419 feet to left-center field.

It was Torkelson's fourth homer in the past 14 games.

The two-run shot also marked Torkelson's eighth homer in 69 games this season, tying his 110-game total last season as a rookie. (He hit 30 home runs in the minor leagues in 2021.)

Carpenter, a left-handed hitter, hit an 88.7 mph cutter on the outside part of the plate for a solo home run. His home run, tagged with a 102.5 mph exit velocity, traveled 403 feet to left-center field.

The Tigers hit back-to-back homers for the third time in 2023.

After the homers, the Tigers added two more runs for a 6-1 advantage on Andy Ibáñez's single and Miguel Cabrera's sacrifice fly off right-handed reliever Jordan Balazovic in his MLB debut.

Oh, that bullpen game!

Right-handed reliever Will Vest started the Tigers' bullpen-only game as an opener for his third start (and fourth appearance) in the past seven days. He became the first Tigers pitcher to start twice in the same series since Mickey Lolich did so against the New York Yankees in late June 1973.

But Vest couldn't finish the first inning.

Left-handed reliever Tyler Holton relieved him with two outs, worked around two hits in the first and returned for the second and third innings. The Twins tied the game, 1-1, on Christian Vazquez's one-out double in the second.

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The Tigers used seven relievers, and — aside from Holton in the second inning — the Twins couldn't generate momentum until Lange, the American League Reliever of the Month in May, took over for the bottom of the eighth inning.

He opened the inning by hitting Michael A Taylor in a scary moment; as Taylor attempted to avoid the pitch, his helmet came off and the pitch appeared to hit him in the back of the head.

In all, Lange faced five batters: Taylor (hit by pitch), Edouard Julien (walk), Willi Castro (RBI double), Donovan Solano (hit by pitch) and Carlos Correa (walk). He also chucked a wild pitch before Correa's walk that allowed the Twins' third run to score.

Right-handed reliever Jason Foley replaced Lange, who threw five of 17 pitches for strikes, and inherited a bases-loaded, no-out jam. Royce Lewis, the first batter he faced, hit a sinker for an RBI single, cutting the Tigers' lead to 6-4.

Then, Foley retired the next three batters: Kyle Farmer (flyout), Joey Gallo (strikeout) and pinch-hitter Byron Buxton (strikeout). He used sinkers for 16 of his 18 pitches in the eighth, then returned to the mound for the ninth.

Foley retired the side in the ninth for his third save.

Starting out hot

The Tigers scored their first run in the first inning.

With two outs, Kerry Carpenter hit Varland's cutter into left field. Javier Báez then ripped a two-strike fastball, thrown at the top of the strike zone, off the wall in right field. The ball bounced off the wall and rolled down the first-base line as Max Kepler chased after it.

The unexpected bounce allowed Carpenter to score easily, for a 1-0 lead, as Báez reached third base standing up for his third triple of the season.

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Varland, 25, allowed six runs on nine hits and two walks with four strikeouts across 4⅓ innings, throwing 67 of 99 pitches for strikes. He threw 49% fastballs, 33% cutters, 12% changeups and 5% sliders.

The Tigers averaged a 97.6 mph exit velocity against him.

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers ride back-to-back HRs to 6-4 win over Minnesota Twins