Twins bury Tigers 15-2 with 10-run sixth in Wild Card push
The Minnesota Twins crushed the Detroit Tigers 15-2 on Tuesday, powered by a 10-run sixth inning that turned a close game into a rout. The outburst—featuring homers from Royce Lewis and Ryan Jeffers—was Minnesota’s second straight double-digit win and a timely spark as the club chases an AL Wild Card berth.
Key Takeaways
- The Twins beat the Tigers 15-2 behind a 10-run, 15-batter sixth inning.
- Royce Lewis’s 427-foot three-run homer chased starter Troy Melton and ignited the rally.
- Ryan Jeffers added a three-run shot, his third homer in three days.
- Minnesota sits 3½ games behind Cleveland for the third AL Wild Card spot.
- Detroit has lost 14 of 16 and six straight series amid a freefall.
What happened in the Twins’ 10-run sixth?
After Kody Clemens’s solo homer in the first and a three-run fifth aided by Detroit miscues, Minnesota still poured it on. Lewis hammered a first-pitch hanging slider from Melton 427 feet to straightaway center for a three-run blast that made the inning explode.
Luke Keaschall’s RBI single and Brooks Lee’s sacrifice fly stretched the lead to 9-1. Jeffers then went deep to make it 12-1, and Kaelen Culpepper’s two-run single capped an eight-hit, 15-batter outburst that equaled the Twins’ biggest inning of the year, according to MLB.com.
Why does this win matter for the Wild Card race?
The Twins are beginning their final Wild Card push with bats that finally look like the group that led the American League in runs into late July. August was a 10-17 slog in which Minnesota’s offense slipped to 10th in the AL, even as power stayed intact.
Back-to-back double-digit outputs—the club’s first consecutive double-digit games since June 2-3, 2025—arrive with Byron Buxton on the injured list and young bats filling the bottom of the order. Minnesota remains 3½ games behind Cleveland for the third AL Wild Card and 6½ behind the White Sox in the AL Central.
How bad has it gotten for the Tigers?
For Detroit, the night reflected a deeper freefall. The Tigers (63-75) dropped their 14th game in 16 and have lost six straight series. It was their first 10-run inning allowed since Aug. 24, 2015, and their most lopsided loss to the Twins since a 20-6 defeat in August 2014.
A 1-1 game into the fifth unraveled after a walk, a Lewis double, and an errant throw by catcher Dillon Dingler that scored two. Melton was charged with seven runs (five earned). Relievers Kyle Finnegan and Beau Brieske could not stop the sixth-inning avalanche, as manager AJ Hinch said afterward the club is “not in a good place right now.”
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