Tensions run high as Tigers top Twins
MINNEAPOLIS -- In a feisty game that saw the benches clear in the fifth inning after Tigers left-hander Matthew Boyd threw behind Miguel Sano, Nicholas Castellanos homered in the third and came through with a go-ahead RBI double in the sixth to lead the Tigers to a 5-4 win over
MINNEAPOLIS -- In a feisty game that saw the benches clear in the fifth inning after Tigers left-hander Matthew Boyd threw behind
"That's not how you draw it up, for sure," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "We needed a win and we got it."
With the Tigers up by a run in the fifth, Boyd threw a waist-high fastball behind Sano, who took offense and shoved catcher
But the Tigers took the lead with two runs in the sixth, keyed by the double from Castellanos, who later scored on a sacrifice fly from McCann.
Castellanos also hit a solo homer off Twins starter
Mejia lasted 2 2/3 innings, surrendering three runs on five hits and three walks with six strikeouts, and he was optioned to Triple-A Rochester after the game. He was backed by a two-run double from
"A lot of things happened," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "It just had a funny feel from the get-go. It was a long game with a lot of dips and turns. We kinda hung in there, but Mejia fought himself today and looked like he was getting frustrated at times. We got back in there with Grossman's hit, but they busted through. We made it interesting in the ninth. I don't how close Polanco's ball got to that overhang, but we came up a little bit short in the end."
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Castellanos delivers: After
"We won by one run," Castellanos said, "so however you want to draw it up, everything we did, we needed every bit of that."
Tigers relievers hold lead: After Detroit's bullpen struggled in Friday's 6-3 loss, it recovered to pitch well after Boyd was ejected, preserving the two-run lead in the sixth. Lefty
"It's an unfortunate day, but the guys behind me did a great job," Boyd said. "Our bullpen came in and slammed the door shut. We fought back and got some runs there. That was a good team win."
QUOTABLE
"The pitcher was ejected for intentionally throwing at Sano, in our judgment. Sano was ejected for throwing a punch at McCann." -- Crew chief Mike Everitt
"When we ran on the field, I probably shouldn't have run as hard as I did." -- Hardy, on following Boyd in relief after the benches cleared
REPLAY REVIEW
The Twins won a challenge in the second inning, when home-plate umpire Jordan Baker wrongly awarded
JONES LEAVES WITH INJURY
Tigers rookie center fielder
WHAT'S NEXT
Tigers:
Twins: Right-hander
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Rhett Bollinger has covered the Twins for MLB.com since 2011. Read his blog, **Bollinger Beat, follow him on Twitter [@RhettBollinger](https://twitter.com/RhettBollinger)** and listen to his podcast.
Jason Beck has covered the Tigers for MLB.com since 2002. Read Beck's Blog, follow him on Twitter @beckjason and Facebook.