Casey Mize-led Detroit Tigers blast off with 4 home runs in 10-5 win over Minnesota Twins
Detroit Tigers right-hander Casey Mize didn't complete the seventh inning, but after he handed the ball to manager A.J. Hinch, he received a standing ovation from the crowd as he walked off the mound at Comerica Park.
Mize acknowledged the support, saluting the fans.
What Mize accomplished guided the Tigers to an 10-5 win over the Minnesota Twins on Saturday, June 28, snapping an eight-game losing streak on Saturdays. It was the Tigers' first win on a Saturday since April 26 (in a doubleheader sweep against the Baltimore Orioles).
The latest victory also set up a rubber match in the three-game series for ESPN's "Sunday Night Baseball" game (7:10 p.m.) on Sunday, June 29, with ace Tarik Skubal on the mound.
But the Tigers (52-32) wouldn't have defeated the Twins on Saturday without four home runs in four consecutive innings: Kerry Carpenter in the third, Gleyber Torres in the fourth, Riley Greene in the fifth and Zach McKinstry in the sixth.
Right-hander Bailey Ober surrendered seven runs.
The Tigers grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second inning, when Spencer Torkelson doubled, advanced to third base on a groundout and scored on Matt Vierling's sacrifice fly. It was Vierling's first game in his second return from a right shoulder injury, following a seven-game rehab assignment.
The early run opened the floodgates.
In the third, Carpenter unloaded on Ober's hanging slider to tie the game, 2-2, with a solo home run to right field — his second homer in the past four games. In the fourth, Colt Keith put the Tigers ahead, 3-2, with a sacrifice fly, then Torres extended the margin to 5-2 with a two-run homer off Ober's first-pitch fastball.
Greene made it 6-2 in the fifth, pulling Ober's down-and-in sweeper to right. McKinstry, a fellow left-handed hitter, also hit a pull-side homer, tagging a down-and-in changeup for a 7-2 lead in the sixth.
The four homers traveled a combined 1,619 feet.
Carpenter had the furthest, at 424 feet.
Detroit Tigers Kerry Carpenter takes a swing after against the Twins at Comerica Park in Detroit on Saturday, June 28, 2025.
The Tigers added their eighth run for an 8-2 advantage in the seventh inning, when Wenceel Pérez walked, moved up to third base on Vierling's single and scored on McKinstry's sacrifice fly — all against left-handed reliever (and former Tiger) Joey Wentz.
The ninth and 10th runs crossed the plate in the eighth.
The Tigers loaded the bases with Torres (walk), Greene (single) and Torkelson (walk), forcing the Twins to replace Wentz with right-handed reliever Cole Sands, who threw back-to-back up-and-in cutters to Pérez.
Pérez — a switch-hitter batting from the left side — fouled off the first pitch, then ripped the second one off the right-field wall, scoring two runs for a 10-4 lead.
Detroit finished with 15 hits and five walks.
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Casey Mize deals
Mize lowered his ERA to 2.86 in his 14th start.
The 28-year-old allowed two runs on five hits and one walk with five strikeouts across 6⅔ innings, throwing 94 pitches. He hasn't given up more than two earned runs in a start over five appearances in June.
He finished June with a 2.93 ERA.
The only damage occurred in the third inning, with Byron Buxton hitting Mize's middle-middle splitter for a two-run home run to left-center field. Buxton is hitting .412 (7-for-17) with two homers against Mize in his career.
Aside from that, Mize dominated against the Twins.
Mize struck out back-to-back batters to end the first inning, stranding Buxton on second base. In that inning, Willi Castro struck out swinging on an 11th-pitch splitter, and Carlos struck out swinging on a fifth-pitch fastball.
He also stranded runners in the fourth and sixth innings.
The Twins scored two runs in the eighth inning, cutting the Tigers' lead to 8-4. Facing right-handed reliever Tommy Kahnle, Correa hit a changeup — which Kahnle threw 87.5% of the time in his 33rd outing — for a two-run home run.
Correa has seven homers in 72 games this season.
The Twins scored their final run off right-handed reliever Chase Lee in the ninth inning, making it 10-5.
Detroit Tigers left fielder Kerry Carpenter (30) takes a home run away from Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers (not pictured) in the second inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Saturday, June 28, 2025.
Kerry Carpenter robs home run
Not only did Carpenter crush a home run at the plate, but he also robbed a homer in left field in the second inning. He took a homer away from Ryan Jeffers for the third out.
It should've been 1-0, Twins.
But thanks to Carpenter, the scoreboard remained 0-0 heading into the bottom of the second inning, in which the Tigers punched first.
Entering Saturday, Carpenter was worth minus-2 defensive runs saved in 265⅔ innings in right field and minus-1 defensive runs saved in 123 innings in left field.
He looked like an elite defender on that robbery, however.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Casey Mize-led Detroit Tigers blast off with 4 home runs in 10-5 win over Minnesota Twins
