Colt Keith hit a two-run homer in the first inning and the host Detroit Tigers never looked back, rolling to a 7-2 win over the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday afternoon.
Keith’s long ball was his 10th of the season. The Tigers (67-79) snapped their seven-series losing streak since Aug. 14-16 by taking two of three games from Minnesota.
Dillon Dingler drove in two runs, while John Peck scored a run and drove in another. Hao-Yu Lee walked three times and scored twice.
Detroit starter Keider Montero gave up two runs in four innings. He was taken out due to the birth of his child. Left-hander Tyler Holton (2-5) didn’t allow a baserunner while recording two strikeouts in two innings and collected the victory.
Kody Clemens and Josh Bell homered for the Twins (69-77).
Twins starter Zebby Matthews (9-10) lasted just 2 1/3 innings. The right-hander gave up five runs on two hits and four walks while fanning two.
The Tigers jumped to a two-run lead in the first inning. Lee drew a one-out walk before Keith deposited a Matthews changeup over the right field wall. Keith also hit his first homer of the season off Matthews on June 11 in Detroit.
Detroit stretched its lead to 5-0 in the third. Peck walked and moved to third on Kevin McGonigle’s double to left. Lee walked to load the bases. Matthews struck out Keith but then walked Riley Greene to force in a run. Matthews was removed in favor of Travis Adams.
Dingler’s sacrifice fly to left allowed McGonigle to score and Brett Callahan’s ground-rule double scored Lee.
Minnesota got two runs back in the fourth as Clemens and Bell hit back-to-back homers.
Detroit made it 6-2 in the seventh with a two-out run. Spencer Torkelson singled and Greene drew another walk before Dingler’s single brought in Torkelson.
The Tigers tacked on another run in the eighth. Max Clark walked, stole second, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on Peck’s single.
