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Urshela, Twins walk off Tigers in 5-4 win

By TYLER MASON
Updated  May 23, 2022 11:24pm EDT
Detroit Tigers
Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS - Gio Urshela hit an infield single in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Minnesota Twins a 5-4 win over the Detroit Tigers on Monday night.

Urshela hit a grounder to Tigers shortstop Javier Báez, who couldn’t make a play. That allowed Max Kepler — who hit a grand slam in the first inning of Monday’s game — to score the winning run.

It’s the second time this season the Twins have walked off the Tigers at Target Field. Minnesota won in walk-off fashion on a bizarre series of plays April 26 against Detroit.

Emilio Pagan (1-1) pitched two scoreless innings of relief to earn the win. Andrew Chafin (0-1) took the loss.

Kepler opened the scoring with his third career grand slam, and the third slam of the year for the Twins. Kepler took Elvin Rodriguez deep to right field to give Minnesota a 4-0 lead in the first.

It was just the second major league appearance and first start for Rodriguez. The right-hander rebounded after his shaky first inning and allowed just one more hit through the next four innings.

Minnesota’s offense went quiet after Kepler’s first inning grand slam. The Twins had just one hit through the next six innings, and the Tigers tied the game in the seventh.

Twins starter Chris Archer allowed just one run but lasted only four innings. The veteran right-hander has not pitched deeper than 4 1/3 innings in any of his eight starts this year.

Luis Arraez reached base four times for the Twins.

Kepler’s grand slam was the 1,000th home run hit by the Twins at Target Field since the stadium opened in 2010.

MOVING UP THE LIST

With a first-inning single, Tigers DH Miguel Cabrera picked up his 3,023rd career hit, tying Lou Brock for 28th in MLB history. Cabrera also got career hit No. 3,024 with a seventh-inning RBI single.

Rod Carew is next on the list with 3,053 hits.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Tigers: RHP Matt Manning (right shoulder inflammation) will make one more rehab start Tuesday for Triple-A Toledo, manager A.J. Hinch said. … RHP Will Vest (COVID-19 IL) is asymptomatic but has not passed his first COVID-19 test yet, Hinch said.

UP NEXT

RHP Beau Brieske (0-3, 5.13 ERA) will make his sixth career start as he continues to search for his first win. The Twins counter with RHP Sonny Gray (1-1, 3.48), who earned his first win of the year in his last start against Oakland.