Tarik Skubal leads Detroit Tigers to win over Minnesota Twins in final start before transfer deadline

DETROIT (AP) — Tarik Skubal gave up five hits and two runs in seven strong innings in his final start before the trade deadline and the Detroit Tigers came back to beat the Minnesota Twins 7-2 on Saturday night.

Javier Báez hit a home run for the third straight game, and Colt Keith had a homer and a triple for three RBIs. Báez had hit just one home run this season before his current streak, and three of his four homers this year came against the Twins.

Skubal (12-3) allowed three hits, including a two-run homer, in the first inning, but held the Twins to two singles over the next six innings. He struck out eight and walked two.

Twins starter Joe Ryan (6-7) allowed three runs on four hits in six innings. He walked one and struck out eight.

The Twins took a 2-0 lead thanks to Royce Lewis’ 11th homer in 26 games this season, but an RBI single by Mark Canha made it 2-1 in the final inning.

Ryan and Skubal then held the batters to 1 for 25 with three hits and 12 strikeouts from the second through fifth innings.

Matt Vierling led off the sixth with a single — Detroit’s first hit since Canha’s single — and Keith tied the game with a triple on the next pitch. Canha made it 3-2 with a sacrifice fly.

Báez extended the lead to three with a two-run homer by Brock Stewart in the seventh. Keith put the Tigers up 7-2 with a 419-foot homer by Steven Okert later in the inning.

TRAINER’S ROOM

The Twins activated 3B Jose Miranda, who had missed the last nine games with a back injury. Miranda entered the game hitting a major league-best .415 in 27 games since June 9. INF Eduoard Julien was sent to Triple-A St. Paul.

NEXT ONE

The teams conclude their season series on Sunday, with Minnesota RHP Bailey Ober (9-5, 4.04) expected to face Tigers opener LHP Tyler Holton (4-1, 2.97). With the Tigers rotation trimmed to three healthy starters, Holton is set to make his third start in six games.

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