Lee gets the clutch moment he needs as Twins complete sweep of Tigers

MINNEAPOLIS – Nobody in the Twins’ clubhouse needed a moment like Brooks Lee needed a moment. And sometimes, baseball delivers.

Lee entered Thursday’s game carrying a 5-for-30 line on the year, with as many errors as RBIs (two). He finished as the hero, coming off the bench to poke a tiebreaking two-run single in the eighth inning, sending Minnesota to a 3-1 win and four-game sweep of the Tigers at Target Field. In a team win filled with contributors, Lee shined extra brightly.

“That’s a huge hit for him,” said manager Derek Shelton. “We know he’s been grinding a little bit. It was a really good at-bat. He laid off some tough pitches. I mean, [Will] Vest is a really good reliever. Laid off some balls down and then got to the 3-2 count. Big hit for Brooks, and a huge hit for us.”

Matt Wallner kicked off the winning rally with a one-out walk, and Victor Caratini singled. After Kody Clemens struck out, Royce Lewis came to the plate. Lewis provided a scare when he got his cleat twisted in the dirt and needed attention from the trainer, but he stayed in the game and beat out an infield hit to load the bases.

That brought up Lee, who fell behind 0-2 before working a full count and delivering the game-winner.

“I could see I was going to get up at some point,” Lee said. “I did think, 'If Royce hits an infield single then I’ll be up with the bases loaded and two outs.' Of course I thought of it, and then sure enough the next pitch, it happened.”

It’s a big year for Lee, and he knows it. He worked hard over the offseason to improve his explosiveness and athleticism to make himself a better defender, but it’s also no secret that the Twins need him to take a step forward offensively.

Several of his teammates had heated up in recent days, but Lee found himself still searching. He didn’t start Thursday’s game, with Tristan Gray getting the call instead, But Austin Martin pinch-hit for Gray in the seventh, and then Lee came in to play defense for the top of the eighth.

When he got his chance to shine, he took it. And he wasn’t the only one excited.

“Oh my god, it’s amazing,” said Mick Abel, who started and pitched six scoreless innings. “I was sitting in here dialed in, and it was … That was pretty special. That was really cool.”

Lee has a bit of a history of moments like this. He has yet to find consistent performance over an extended period of time at the plate, but that has rarely kept him from coming up big in key moments. And with help from his biggest fan, he was able to put the negative thoughts out of his head and do it again Thursday.

“I think I have to take a step back and realize what I’m thinking in the moment, if I’m being irrational in my brain,” Lee said. “Or if I needed to talk to my dad for 30 minutes last night. I felt like [it was] a really good talk that we had. Just trying to get things off my chest, because I keep it in all the time. It’s a tough game.”

Cavalcade of relievers continues
Eric Orze recorded the Twins’ fifth save on Thursday, and every one of them has gone to a different pitcher – including one in each of the four wins against Detroit. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it’s the third time since saves became an official statistic in 1969 that a team has won four straight games in a single series with four different pitchers getting a save.

Orze followed Cody Laweryson, Kody Funderburk and Justin Topa. Cole Sands also has a save.

“Sounds about right,” Orze said. “I think that was the plan going in. Closer by committee. Everybody ready to go at all times. Boys are doing their job.”

Lewis OK
Lewis was moving around fine in the clubhouse after the game, which was a relief after he received attention from athletic trainer Masa Abe during his final at-bat.

“My cleat got stuck in the dirt and my knee twisted in an uncomfortable way, and I just wanted more time,” said Lewis. “You only get 16 seconds and so I was like, ‘I need a little bit more time.’ But yeah, it just didn’t feel exactly perfect, so I wanted a little second and Masa gave me that.”