Detroit’s Drew Anderson, who had an effective outing against Minnesota last week, will try to duplicate that performance when the Tigers host the Twins in the middle contest of a three-game series on Tuesday.
Anderson (4-5, 3.73 ERA) held Minnesota to two runs, one earned, in 5 2/3 innings — his longest outing of the season — in a game Detroit eventually won 11-6 in 12 innings. The right-hander spent much of the season in middle relief until Jack Flaherty landed on the injured list and starters Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize were traded.
In three career outings (one start) against the Twins, all this year, Anderson has no decisions and a 1.93 ERA.
Anderson will be opposed by another right-hander, Dean Kremer (2-5, 5.81). Acquired from the Baltimore Orioles early last month, Kremer has posted a 1-1 record and 4.99 ERA in six starts for Minnesota.
He was Anderson’s mound opponent on Wednesday and allowed four runs in four-plus innings. Kremer had his worst outing of the season against the Tigers in his final start with the Orioles, getting pounded for eight runs on eight hits in four innings on July 28.
Kremer has struggled in his career vs. Detroit, going 0-4 with a 9.12 ERA in five career outings (four starts). In two outings against the Tigers this year, he is 0-1 with a 13.50 ERA.
Kremer and the Twins’ bullpen will have to figure out a way to cool off Riley Greene. Detroit’s cleanup hitter has caught fire after missing three weeks last month due to a hamstring strain.
In his past three games, Greene has nine hits, including six extra-base hits, and eight RBIs. He blasted his third homer in that span during the series opener on Monday, going 3-for-4 while leading the Tigers (66-78) to a 5-4 victory.
“He’s not missing pitches when he gets them,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “Obviously, he’s hitting it hard to all fields and you always feel good with Riley Greene up to bat. Even some of his slow days he still has the potential to impact the game and you see the difference in our lineup. When he gets a good pitch to hit and when he’s locked in like he is right now, he starts to pile up hits.”
The Tigers were relieved not to blow a late lead. They lost three games in walk-off fashion to Cleveland in the four-game series that ended Sunday. Detroit ended its Monday win with a double play.
“We’ve been punched in gut quite a bit recently,” Hinch said. “We had the lead and they’re starting to come back with the middle part of the order up (in the ninth) and then the leadoff walk. All of that signals, ‘Here we go again.’
“You have to fight through that emotion and stress, and it’s not easy. It’s not easy for the people in stands, not easy for people in the dugout. But when you see it through and you win, it lifts the whole clubhouse up to finish a game on the right side.”
Minnesota (68-76) stranded 10 baserunners and went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position while losing for the fourth time in five games.
Just before the game-ending double play, the Twins’ Ryan Jeffers hit a deep flyout.
“When you hit into four double plays, it kills some rallies,” Minnesota manager Derek Shelton said. “Unfortunately, we’re in the wrong ballpark for the ball Jeffers hit at the end because that ball was straight flushed on, but it’s the biggest ballpark in baseball in center field, and it doesn’t get out.”
Twins left fielder Trevor Larnach snapped out of a 4-for-22 (.182) slump by going 2-for-3 with a homer on Monday. It was his 12th homer of the year, just his second in 25 games since Aug. 4.
–Field Level Media
