Minnesota Twins

Slumping Tigers face Twins and look to end four-game skid (Apr 22, 2017)

Published Apr. 22, 2017 2:24 a.m. ET

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Twins snapped a four-game losing streak Friday by defeating the Detroit Tigers. Now the Tigers hope to do the same with a win against the Twins on Saturday.

Detroit dropped the series opener by a 6-3 final score at Target Field for its fourth straight loss. The Tigers, who at one point were 7-3 to start the season, now find themselves back at .500 (8-8).

A win to halt the skid would be nice, but a lopsided victory would be even better for the Tigers, who have the worst run differential in the American League (-24).

"We'd like to have a game where it's a laugher in favor of us," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "It's just baseball. You're going to go on streaks where you have good offensive output and you'll go on streaks where you have good pitching. We haven't had a lot of those."

The Tigers will have their chance to get a win against Twins starter Adalberto Mejia, a left-hander who was originally slated to start Wednesday against Cleveland. His start got skipped, though, after Wednesday's game was postponed due to weather.

Mejia (0-1, 4.05 ERA) made his major league debut last season by making one relief appearance. He has made his first two career starts in 2017 with the Twins and has had mixed results. He lasted just 1 2/3 innings in his first start, but gave up just one run in five innings the next time out.

Friday's win was just the second for the Twins (8-8) in the first seven games of their current homestand. Minnesota lost three straight to Cleveland after dropping the series finale against the White Sox.

Thanks to a six-run sixth inning Friday -- capped by an Eddie Rosario three-run homer -- Minnesota is back to .500 after losing five of its last six.

"It was just a good win," Twins manager Paul Molitor. "We kind of feel like you need one after kind of stumbling through the last series."

The Tigers will counter Mejia and the Twins with left-hander Matthew Boyd (2-1, 3.77 ERA). Boyd beat Minnesota earlier this month when he held the Twins scoreless for six innings in a 2-1 Tigers victory.

Boyd was almost as good his last time out, giving up just one run in six innings of against Cleveland as the Tigers won 4-1.

Detroit may be without slugger Miguel Cabrera on Saturday. Cabrera, who has three home runs and nine RBIs this year, left Friday's game with a right groin strain. Ausmus said Cabrera will be re-evaluated Saturday.

If Cabrera can't play, the Tigers will have an even shorter bench. They're currently using just a three-man bench while carrying 13 pitchers on the roster.

"We just hope he's all right," Detroit outfielder Justin Upton said. "But if he can't go, we've got to pick him up. Things happen, and at the end of the day, if he can't go, somebody's got to step in and do the job."