DETROIT (AP) — Zach McKinstry hit a two-run single in Detroit’s three-run second inning and the Tigers held on to beat the Minnesota Twins 3-2 on Saturday night.
Reese Olson (1-2) picked up his first major league win, allowing one run and four hits with a career-high nine strikeouts and a walk in 5 1/3 innings.
“His slider has been his best pitch, and he was able to throw it to lefties tonight,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “He demonstrates so much poise and calmness with his ability to get back into counts. He just did a great job.”
Alex Lange got the final four outs for his 12th save in 14 attempts.
Twins starter Pablo López (3-5) allowed three runs and seven hits in six innings. He walked one and struck out 10. Carlos Correa and Joey Gallo hit solo homers for Minnesota.
The Tigers scored their only runs in the second when Nick Maton singled, Miguel Cabrera drew a one-out walk and Eric Haase followed with an RBI single to make it 1-0. Jake Marisnick’s single loaded the bases and McKinstry’s flare into shallow center scored Cabrera and Haase.
Marisnick and McKinstry’s singles both had exit velocities under 70 mph.
“It was definitely frustrating, but you have to make peace with it because there are so many things you can’t control,” López said. “I definitely want the walk back, but (Cabrera) has seen so many pitches that he can recognize anything you throw him.”
Correa’s 425-foot homer made it 3-1 in the sixth and Alex Kiriloff followed with an infield single to end Olson’s night. José Cisnero replaced him and got Byron Buxton to ground into an inning-ending double play. Buxton is 0 for 21 against the Tigers this season and 4 for 58 (.069) since the start of last season.
“We needed something right there, and he hit the ball 110 mph,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “But it is right at someone, so it is a double play.”
Buxton left after that at-bat with back spasms and was listed as day-to-day. Baldelli said it is an issue he has dealt with all season.
Gallo homered with two outs in the seventh to make it 3-2. Singles by Correa and Willi Castro put two on with two outs in the eighth. Hinch brought in Lange for a four-out save. After Donovan Solano reached on an error to load the bases, Lange struck out Royce Lewis with a 3-2 curveball.
José De León was brought in with one out in the eighth, but injured his right elbow while warming up.
“That’s very disappointing,” Baldelli said. “He’s going to miss some time, but we don’t know how much. The staff and his teammates are pretty broken up about it. That’s a tough watch.”
De León, who compared the pain to an electric shock, immediately ran off the mound and toward the Twins dugout. He was replaced by Jordan Balazovic.
“I don’t know what happened, but it was scary,” Hinch said. “A lot of guys were shook up about that just because of the respect we have for each other.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Tigers RHP Trey Wingenter (biceps) and RHP Beau Briske (upper arm) each pitched in rehab for Triple-A Toledo on Friday. Briske allowed two runs in one inning while Wingenter allowed two runs in 2/3 of an inning.
QUICK REFLEXES
McKinstry hit a 99.8-mph line drive back up the middle in the seventh and the ball appeared to hit Twins pitcher Emilio Pagán. As Correa caught the deflected ball, Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers and home plate umpire Alex MacKay both hurried toward the mound, but were waved off by Pagán. He ducked just under the ball, which deflected off the tip of his glove.
UP NEXT
The teams finish their weekend series Sunday in a game that was moved up because of heavy rain in the forecast (10:00 AM, 1060/103.1 KGFX). Detroit RHP Michael Lorenzen (2-5, 4.00) is scheduled to face RHP Bailey Ober (4-4, 2.80).
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