Detroit Tigers shut down by Triple-A call-up pitcher in 4-1 loss to Minnesota Twins

There was a pitching duel between 27th men.

The Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins were allowed to add a 27th player to the active roster for Saturday's doubleheader, and both teams promoted a right-handed pitcher to start Game 2. The Tigers called up Matt Manning from Triple-A Toledo; the Twins called up Simeon Woods Richardson from Triple-A St. Paul.

Although Woods Richardson surrendered seven runs in his last Triple-A start, he shoved against the Tigers. Woods Richardson, who allowed one run on two hits and one walk in six innings, outperformed Manning in the Tigers' 4-1 loss to the Twins in Game 2 of the doubleheader at Comerica Park.

The Tigers (8-6) dropped both games in the doubleheader.

GAME 1: Tigers can't keep perfect extra innings record in 11-5 loss to Twins

Manning gave up four runs on five hits and two walks with seven strikeouts across 6⅔ innings, throwing 92 pitches. He generated 12 whiffs on 50 swings, but he also surrendered a pair of home runs.

The homers haunted Manning.

Edouard Julien blasted a fastball for a solo home run to left-center field in the third inning for a 2-1 lead. Willi Castro, who played for the Tigers from 2019-22, turned on a sweeper for a two-run home run to right-center field in the sixth inning for a 4-1 lead. Both pitches were inside the strike zone.

The Twins scored their first run on Byron Buxton's sacrifice fly in the first inning after Manning walked the first two batters of the game.

Manning, who has been returned to Triple-A Toledo, threw 47 fastballs, 33 sweepers, six curveballs, three splitters and three sliders. He recorded his 12 whiffs with five fastballs and seven sweepers.

A couple of hard hits made the difference in an otherwise solid start.

[ MUST LISTEN: Make "Days of Roar" your go-to Detroit Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ] 

One run isn't enough

The Tigers tied the game, 1-1, with Javier Báez's sacrifice fly in the second inning, following two singles and one walk. Báez got enough of Woods Richardson's slider inside the strike zone for a flyout to center field.

The ball traveled 352 feet.

KEEPING CALM: Tigers' Parker Meadows maintains confidence while trying to time up fastballs

Woods Richardson threw 80 pitches in six innings of one-run ball, but he didn't return for the seventh inning. The Twins went to left-handed reliever Kody Funderburk, and the Tigers capitalized on the pitching change.

Matt Vierling delivered a leadoff single.

Wenceel Pérez hustled for a double with two outs.

The Tigers had two runners in scoring position with Báez entering the batter's box. The Twins swapped Funderburk with right-handed reliever Cole Sands, but the Tigers didn't use one of their left-handed hitters on the bench (Zach McKinstry and Parker Meadows) as a pinch-hitter for Báez.

Báez grounded out on a first-pitch, middle-middle fastball to end the inning and strand the runners.

A moment to remember

Before the double, Pérez notched the first hit of his MLB career off Woods Richardson in the second inning.

Pérez, who started in center field, tapped the ball to first base. The first baseman fielded the slow roller, but Woods Richardson didn't cover the bag in time. Pérez ran 26.9 feet per second on the infield single.

He completed the single with a headfirst slide into first base.

FUN SERIES: Tigers host reigning AL Central champions, but the message stays the same

Pérez received cheers from the fans after his first hit.

In the seventh inning, Pérez hit a ground ball up the middle — to the left of second base — that rolled slowly into left-center field. He never slowed down on the bases, running 28.1 feet per second, to turn a single into a double. Pérez traveled from home to first in 4.59 seconds and from first to second in 3.6 seconds.

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

Listen to our weekly Tigers show "Days of Roar" every Monday afternoon on demand at freep.com, Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at freep.com/podcasts.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers' bats stay quiet in 4-1 loss to Minnesota Twins