It was quite an easy day for Minnesota Twins pitcher Matt Shoemaker on Monday, as his team put up 15 runs on the Detroit Tigers in a dominating 15-6 win. The Twins would tally a total of 14 hits and 11 walks against Tiger pitchers.
Allowing 6 runs in 3 innings was not what Tigers fans had hoped to see from starting pitcher José Ureña, who signed with Detroit as a free agent last December. Ureña finished the 2020 season with a 5.40 ERA with the Miami Marlins.
The next three pitchers for Detroit would not be able to get it done either. Ureña was replaced by reliever Buck Farmer, who gave up 3 runs. Derek Holland replaced Farmer and gave up 4 runs of his own, and then Bryan Garcia would allow only 2 runs. However, the damage had already been done.
The BOOMstick
Even at 40 years old, Nelson Cruz still manages to rake. The Twins Designated Hitter went 3-6 with two home runs and a double. In his first at-bat, Cruz managed to hit one the distance but in foul territory. He followed it up with a walloping grand-slam, which put the Twins up 6-0 in the second inning.
Cruz’s stellar performance would contain 5 RBIs in his 3 hits, making him the team leader in RBIs. His 417 career homers put him at 3rd amongst active MLB players, behind Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera.
BaDOOM
Centerfielder Akil Baddoo has already made his mark in the Major Leagues. The Twins drafted Badoo in the second round of the 2016 MLB Draft, and the former Kentucky Wildcat commit launched a home run on his first-ever pitch in the Majors on Sunday.
Baddoo’s storybook week continued on Monday when he launched a grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning off Twins reliever Randy Dobnak. Although it would not be enough to bring the Tigers out of their misery, it was an amazing way to play against his former team.
Up Next
The Tigers will have 2 more games to try to avenge their loss against the Twins on Tuesday and Wednesday before traveling to Cleveland for their first away series of the 2021 season.
After their series in Detroit, the Twins will head back to Minnesota to host the Seattle Mariners in a 3-game home stint.
