Detroit Tigers strike out 16 times in 4-1 loss to Minnesota Twins
The Detroit Tigers had opportunities to score throughout the game, beginning with a big opportunity in the first inning, but the offense came up empty numerous times until the sixth inning.
One run wasn't enough.
The Tigers lost, 4-1, to the Minnesota Twins in Friday's opener of the three-game series at Comerica Park. After scoring one run in the sixth, the Tigers were stymied further when Miguel Cabrera grounded into an inning-ending bases-loaded double play.
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With the loss, the Tigers (32-42) dropped to 5½ games behind the Twins (39-38) for first place in the American League Central.
Facing right-hander Kenta Maeda in his first big-league start since April, Zach McKinstry (walk) and Spencer Torkelson (single) reached safely to start the first inning, but Kerry Carpenter struck out and Javier Báez grounded into a double play.
In the third inning, Torkelson struck out swinging with McKinstry (single) at second base. In the fifth inning, McKinstry struck out with Jake Rogers (walk) and Cabrera (single) at first and second, respectively.
Maeda struck out McKinstry, a left-handed hitter, with a down-and-away splitter for the final pitch of his fifth start this season.
He fired five scoreless innings — working around three hits and two walks — with eight strikeouts, throwing 53 of 83 pitches for strikes. He generated 11 whiffs with two sliders, five splitters and four fastballs.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Tigers loaded the bases on pinch-hitter Andy Ibáñez's double, Báez's walk and pinch-hitter Jonathan Schoop's infield single.
With one out, Matt Vierling shot an eighth-pitch fastball into right field, cutting the Tigers' deficit to 4-1, and keeping the bases juiced against right-handed reliever Brock Stewart.
That's when Cabrera grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Báez grounded into his second inning-ending double play in the eighth. A one-out walk from Vierling gave the Tigers life in the ninth against right-handed flamethrower Jhoan Durán, but Cabrera and Zack Short struck out to end the game.
Wentz wipes out
The Twins scored three runs off left-hander Joey Wentz with a pair of home runs in the second inning.
Royce Lewis tagged a first-pitch fastball for a solo home run to right field, and after ex-Tiger Willi Castro worked a rare walk, Max Kepler smacked a fourth-pitch cutter for a two-run homer to right-center.
Wentz, aside from those mistakes, appeared in control until the sixth inning got away from him.
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The Twins took a 4-0 lead in the sixth after loading the bases on Kyle Farmer's double, Castro's walk and a fielding error by Vierling on a shallow pop fly to center field.
The error chased Wentz from his 15th game (14th start) without recording an out in the inning. Right-handed reliever Brendan White replaced Wentz and threw a bases-loaded wild pitch, which allowed Farmer to score for the Twins' fourth run.
Wentz allowed four runs (three earned runs) on five hits and four walks with four strikeouts in five-plus innings, tossing 58 of 96 pitches for strikes. He logged eight whiffs on four fastballs, three cutters and one changeup.
The 25-year-old has a 6.72 ERA.
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Ejections and Englert
Three members of the Twins were ejected by home plate umpire Lance Barrett in Friday's game: manager Rocco Baldelli, center fielder Michael A. Taylor and assistant hitting coach Derek Shomon.
Baldelli, who seemed to argue Barrett wasn't calling balks, received his ejection in the top of the second.
Taylor and Shomon were ejected in the sixth inning after Taylor was called out on strikes when he didn't swing at White's slider — which wasn't inside the strike zone — in a 3-2 count with two runners in scoring position.
Alex Kirilloff struck out swinging to end the top of the sixth inning, with White getting the final two outs of the inning on strikeouts.
White stranded two runners in scoring position.
Right-handed reliever Mason Englert entered in the seventh inning for his first appearance since June 16. The Tigers have slowed his activity because of potential arm fatigue, as suggested by his 89 mph fastball last week.
This time, Englert retired all three batters he faced: Carlos Correa (groundout), Byron Buxton (strikeout) and Lewis (strikeout). He also retired back-to-back batters in the eighth inning before giving way to left-handed reliever Tyler Alexander.
Englert, who threw 13 of 18 pitches for strikes, generated eight whiffs on 11 swings from the Twins. His four fastballs averaged 91.3 mph as he primarily relied on his changeup and slider.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers strike out early and often in 4-1 loss to Minnesota
