Detroit Tigers swept in four games by Twins with 3-1 loss in finale

MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota Twins manager Derek Shelton walked to the mound with two outs and a runner on second base in the sixth inning. Right-hander Mick Abel received pats on the back from his teammates who gathered around the mound, signifying the end of his start.

But Abel didn't leave the game.

After a conversation with Shelton, Abel stayed in the game to face Detroit Tigers shortstop Javier Báez for a third time, even after Báez produced hits in the first two matchups.

Trusting in the youngster paid off for the Twins, as Abel induced an inning-ending groundout to keep the Tigers scoreless – a big moment in the Tigers' 3-1 loss to the Twins on Thursday, April 9, in the finale of the four-game series at Target Field. The reason for the latest loss: The Tigers finished 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position.

The Tigers (4-9) have lost five games in a row.

They've also lost nine of their last 11 games.

TIME TO PANIC? It's early, but Tigers are playing losing baseball

Detroit Tigers second baseman Zach McKinstry (39) tags out Minnesota Twins second baseman Kody Clemens (2) on an attempted stolen base in the second inning at Target Field in Minneapolis on Thursday, April 9, 2026.

The next chance to shift the moment after getting swept by the Twins (7-6) is Friday (6:40 p.m., Detroit SportsNet) against the Miami Marlins at Comerica Park. Of their first 13 games, the Tigers spent 10 of them on the road but now return home for nine of 13 games.

In Thursday's game, the Tigers and Twins were tied, 1-1, entering the bottom of the seventh inning.

Everything changed in the bottom of the eighth inning, as the Twins scored two runs off right-handed reliever Will Vest for a 3-1 lead. The runs scored on a single from Brooks Lee, who hit an elevated fastball through the right side of the infield.

The big swing came in a full count with two outs and the bases loaded.

Earlier in the eighth, the Tigers lost center fielder Parker Meadows after a collision in left-center field with left fielder Riley Greene. The severity of Meadows' injury is unclear, but he exited the game after staying down for several minutes.

After the injury, Vest walked Matt Wallner, gave up a single to Victor Caratini and allowed an infield single to Royce Lewis, setting the table for Lee to change the scoreboard.

This time, Lee came up clutch with the biggest hit of the game.

LAST GAME: Framber Valdez stunned by Twins in Tigers' 8-6 loss

Before the late-game heroics, the Tigers and Twins traded runs. The Twins scored on a home run in the fourth inning, and the Tigers scored on a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning.

In the fourth, Josh Bell blasted a first-pitch slider from right-hander Jack Flaherty – hung over the middle of the strike zone – for a solo home run to right-center field.

It put the Twins ahead, 1-0.

In the seventh, Jake Rogers was hit by a pitch and Colt Keith singled to put runners on the corners against right-handed reliever Garrett Acton, followed by a sacrifice fly from Gleyber Torres.

That tied the game, 1-1.

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Mick Abel (20) throws to the Detroit Tigers in the first inning at Target Field in Minneapolis on Thursday, April 9, 2026.

Flaherty allowed one run on five hits and three walks with six strikeouts across 5⅔ innings, throwing 89 pitches; Abel tossed six scoreless innings on four hits and three walks with six strikeouts across six innings, throwing 102 pitches.

The Tigers scored immediately after Abel's departure.

Meanwhile, Flaherty stranded baserunners in the first, second, third, fourth and sixth innings – with the fifth as his only clean inning. Double plays saved him in the first and second innings, with a swinging strikeout-caught stealing double play in the second.

In the sixth, Flaherty left runners on first and second base with two outs for left-handed reliever Tyler Holton, who generated an inning-ending flyout in a favorable matchup against Kody Clemens.

Flaherty owns a 5.14 ERA across 14 innings in three starts.

With Flaherty on the mound, the Tigers squandered several scoring opportunities.

There was momentum after Keith walked and Torres singled in the first inning, only for Greene to strike out, Kerry Carpenter to fly out and Spencer Torkelson to strike out – stranding the runners. Nearly the same thing happened in the second inning when Zach McKinstry walked and Javier Báez singled, followed by Meadows striking out, Rogers striking out and Keith grounding into a force out.

The Tigers also stranded Greene after a one-out double in the third and Báez after a one-out double in the fourth.

The fifth was the only clean inning for Abel.

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers swept in four games by Twins with 3-1 loss in finale