The Minnesota Twins continued their horrible start to the 2011 Major League Baseball season, getting swept by the Detroit Tigers with a 4-2 loss on Wednesday night at Comerica Park. The loss was the fourth in a row for the Twins, and their tenth in the last twelve games.
Detroit did all of their damage early against Twins' starter Scott Baker, who was coming off of a strong outing in his previous start. The Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning on a single by Alex Avila that scored Victor Martinez. They then increased their lead in the bottom of the third, thanks to a three-run home run by Miguel Cabrera off of Baker, making the Detroit lead 4-0. That was all the scoring that the Tigers would get on the afternoon. . .but, as has too often been the case against the 2011 Minnesota Twins, four runs was far to much for the Twins to overcome.
The Twins remained scoreless until the seventh inning, until they got on the board courtesy of a two-run homer by Drew Butera. . .yes, that Drew Butera. The homer was just the second of Butera's big league career, and cut Detroit's lead to 4-2. The Twins then proceeded to load the bases in that same inning, but shortstop Trevor Plouffe struck out looking against Al Alburquerque to end the threat, and the Twins didn't seriously threaten again the rest of the way.
Baker wound up taking the loss for the Twins after allowing four runs and seven hits in six innings of work, dropping his record on the season to 2-4. Rick Porcello got the victory for Detroit, allowing two runs on six hits in six innings of work, and his record on the season is now 5-3. Jose Valverde retired the Twins in the ninth to earn his fourteenth save of the 2011 season.
No rest for the Twins after this one, as they'll move on to Kansas City to kick off a four-game series with the Royals on Thursday night, with first pitch scheduled for 7:10 PM. The pitching match-up will see Anthony Swarzak (0-2, 3.60 ERA) attempt to follow his brilliant last start with a similar performance, while the Royals will counter with Sean O'Sullivan (2-4, 6.75 ERA), who was victorious over the Twins back on April 30 in a 11-2 Kansas City rout of the Twins.