Ugly inning, twin killings cost Minnesota in 1-run loss to Tigers

The Tigers defeated the Minnesota Twins 5-4 on Monday, despite a series of unfortunate events in the second inning. Joe Ryan, returning from the injured list, allowed a solo home run to Kevin McGonigle, setting the stage for Detroit's victory. Ryan's control faltered in the second inning, leading to a triple and a walk, followed by two hit batsmen with the bases loaded.

Rookie of the Year favorite McGonigle capitalized on this chaos, hitting a grounder that resulted in a disastrous throw by Royce Lewis, allowing the runner to score and tying the game at 1-1. Connor Prielipp relieved Ryan and worked the next four innings, but his mistake proved costly. Riley Greene hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning, extending the Tigers' lead to 3-1.

Despite Walker Jenkins driving in two runs, Minnesota struggled to respond, stranded the tying runner multiple times in the later innings. Minnesota's defense faltered, grounding into four double plays, including one in each of the final three innings. The Twins, currently 4 1/2 games behind Cleveland in the wild-card race, are now eight games under .500. Their next matchup is against the Tigers on Tuesday at 5:40 p.m. CT.