Edouard Julien and Willi Castro hit home runs to help the Minnesota Twins secure a 4-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers in the second game of a doubleheader on Saturday.
In the first game, the Twins scored seven runs in the 12th inning, winning 11-5. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance, saying, “Our guys came out and played a good day of baseball.”
The Tigers struggled, striking out 27 times in the doubleheader and 42 times within 24 hours, including Friday’s rain-delayed 8-2 win.
Simeon Woods-Richardson pitched well for the Twins, allowing only one run on two hits and a walk in six innings in the second game. Cole Sands closed the game, earning his first save of the season.
Matt Manning, called up on Saturday, started for the Tigers but gave up four runs on five hits and two walks in 6 2/3 innings.
In the sixth inning, Castro, who previously played for the Tigers, hit his first homer of the season, extending the Twins’ lead to 4-1.
Woods-Richardson retired the last 14 batters he faced, securing the win for the Twins. The first game went into extra innings, with Ryan Jeffers hitting a pinch-hit homer in the eighth inning.
After tying in the 11th inning, the Twins took the lead in the 12th inning when Alex Lange walked Castro, loading the bases. A series of events, including a three-run error, led to the Twins’ victory. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch didn’t believe the outcome of the first game affected the second game.