DETROIT (AP) — Jorge Polanco hit a two-run double in the sixth inning and the Minnesota Twins held off Akil Baddoo and the Detroit Tigers 3-2 on Wednesday.
Baddoo hit an RBI triple and threw a runner out from left field — another impressive day in this stellar start to his big league career. But the rookie was doubled off third after his big hit — it was a rough day on the bases for the Tigers, who also ran into two outs at home in the sixth.
Wilson Ramos homered for Detroit, and Matthew Boyd (1-1) allowed three runs in seven innings.
Kenta Maeda (1-0) pitched six mostly strong innings, allowing two runs and seven hits. He yielded two singles, a double and a walk in the sixth, but Detroit didn’t score.
Willi Castro was thrown out at home for the first out while trying to score from first on Miguel Cabrera’s double. Then, with the bases loaded, Jonathan Schoop hit a fly to right. Kyle Garlick caught it and threw Cabrera out at home — with Baddoo waiting on deck.
“What a relief,” Maeda said through a translator. “If it weren’t for those two plays, I don’t think our team win would have been there.”
Castro said he paused a bit on Cabrera’s hit, since left fielder Jake Cave tried to make a diving catch. Cave got up quickly and threw to shortstop Andrelton Simmons, who made the throw home to retire Castro.
“Obviously that’s an aggressive play, and there’s no outs,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “I think it was more about them executing.”
Polanco, who was thrown out twice at home himself in an extra-inning loss Tuesday, got his key hit after Castro was unable to field Nelson Cruz’s hard two-out grounder to the shortstop. That infield single left men on first and second, and Polanco drove them both home to erase a 2-1 Detroit lead.
Cruz was…
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