Detroit — The Central Division-leading Twins have struggled to hit left-handed pitching this season. They came into the game Tuesday with the worst batting average against lefties in the American League (.228) and the third worst OPS (.689).
Of course, you wouldn’t know that by the way they gouged Tigers’ lefty Joey Wentz for eight runs in three innings Monday.
It was a different story Tuesday against lefty Eduardo Rodriguez.
Rodriguez was at his stingy best. Using primarily his four-seam fastball and changeup against the seven right-handed hitters, he blanked the Twins for seven innings helping the Tigers to a 6-0 win at Comerica Park.
He scattered just four hits and allowed only two runners in scoring position. He got former Tiger Willi Castro to ground out with a runner at second in the first inning and in the third, with runners on the corners, shortstop Javier Báez made a leaping grab of a liner by Jordan Luplow to end the threat.
Rodriguez has owned the Central Division this season, going 4-1 allowing five runs in 40 innings with 45 strikeouts and nine walks.
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The Tigers were having a devil of a time with Twins’ right-handed starter Sonny Gray for the first three innings. Seven of his first nine outs were strikeouts (he’d finish with 10), most either set up by or finished by his sweeper. The Tigers swung and missed at seven of the first eight sweepers he threw.
The Twins gifted the Tigers an unearned run in the first inning. Riley Greene doubled and scored from second on a two-out throwing error by second baseman Jorge Polanco.
But then Miguel Cabrera punched a two-strike single to right field to lead off the fourth. It was career hit No. 3,141, tying him (briefly) with Tony Gwynn for 20th all-time. Cabrera singled again in the eighth inning, No. 3,142, moving him into a tie with Robin Yount for 19th all-time.
His first knock started a string of four straight hits.
Kerry Carpenter doubled and Báez and Zach McKinstry followed with RBI singles. There were still no outs, but the two runs were all the Tigers’ got. McKinstry was thrown out trying to steal second base, Nick Maton struck out and Jake Rogers grounded out.
On a normal night, the two runs might’ve felt insufficient. But with the way Rodriguez was dealing, it felt secure. Even after a couple of sparkling defensive plays by Twins’ outfielders kept two more runs off the board.
With two outs and Akil Baddoo running on the pitch from first base in the third inning, Castro made a diving catch of a bullet liner by Spencer Torkelson, likely saving a run.
In the fifth inning, with Baddoo on second base and two outs, right fielder Matt Wallner stole an RBI single from Cabrera with another diving catch.
Catcher Jake Rogers, though, hit one that couldn’t be caught off reliever Josh Winder in the seventh. He locked onto a 2-2 fastball (95 mph) and drove it 401 feet into the visitor’s bullpen in left-center. It was his 14th of the season.
The Tigers tacked on two more against Winder in the eighth. Zack Short, put into the game for defense, lined a two-out, two-run single.
Relievers Jose Cisnero and Jason Foley finished what Rodriguez started, putting the last two zeroes on the scoreboard.
chris.mccosky@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @cmccosky