Milone goes 8 1/3 innings; Twins beat Detroit 6-2

“It caught me off guard”, Boyd said with a laugh.

“It feels good to go deeper into the game”, Milone said. In road games this season Nolasco has an ERA nearly a full run lower compared to pitching at home and he does have one start at Comerica Park this season, throwing five innings and allowing five hits, and two earned runs in a loss.

The Twins got a home run from Joe Mauer in the first, and two more in the ninth, worth three runs, when Max Kepler and Eddie Rosario tore into off-speed tosses from Francisco Rodriguez and sent them soaring into the right-field seats. They’ll play the second game of the three-game series on Tuesday night. The Twins hand the ball to Tommy Milone for his first start of the season against Detroit. Sano is batting.295 during his streak with three doubles, two homers, six RBIs and five runs scored.

“We’re in an offensive funk that started before this series, and there’s not really much you can do about that”, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. “If the starters go out and pitch six strong innings, we can put some runs on the board and our bullpen comes out sharp, we’re going to have a chance to win a lot of ballgames”. He struck out seven with one walk. Cabrera is hitting.195 with two home runs and eight RBI against left-handed pitchers this season, is 0-for-10 with six strikeouts with the bases loaded and hitting.171 – with a.200 slugging percentage – with runners in scoring position and two outs.

Rodriguez started for the fourth straight game after ending the first half as a part-time player against left-handed pitching and homered in his first at-bat against Kevin Gauman (1-7).

The Tigers had seven hits and enough opportunities to have given themselves, and Verlander, a victory.

The Tigers had two on with two out in the seventh, but Santana got James McCann to foul out to end that inning.

Detroit had two hits in the ninth but didn’t score. He eventually stopped around the edge of the infield and was tackled.

“His hits have been spread out as of late”, Minnesota manager Paul Molitor said. “You don’t want to be sellers”, ace right-hander Justin Verlander said. “I think that was affirmed by the tackle”.

Tigers: LHP Daniel Norris (right oblique strain) allowed a run and five hits in four innings in a rehab start for Triple-A Toledo. OF Tyler Collins was scratched before the game because of neck spasms.

So hot in the final 20 games before the break, when they averaged 6.7 runs per game, Twins hitters have gone shockingly cold in the first four games of the second half. Steven Wright (11-5) starts for the Red Sox. He has 10 home runs, including nine over the last 26 games. Ryan wasn’t able to recapture past glory, as the team failed to make the playoffs during his second stint.