Torkelson homers to start 5-run 12th, Tigers top Twins 11-6

By: Mike Cook, The Associated Press Posted: 11:06 PM CDT Wednesday, Sep. 2, 2026

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Spencer Torkelson hit a two-run home run in the 12th inning, Javier Báez added a bases-clearing double, and the Detroit Tigers beat the Minnesota Twins 11-6 on Wednesday night to salvage the final game of a three-game series.

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John Peck drove in three runs with the first two hits of his career, and Hao-Yu Lee, Riley Greene and Max Clark added RBIs.

In winning for the second time in seven games, Detroit scored more than two runs for the first time in that span.

Detroit Tigers' Hao-Yu Lee scores on a RBI double by Riley Greene against the Minnesota Twins during the fifth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Craig Lassig)

Torkelson lined the second pitch he saw from Tommy Nance (2-3) into the left-field seats for his 21st home run, but first since July 29. Báez’s double came six batters later.

Kyle Finnegan (3-0) tossed the final two innings for the win.

Clark hit an RBI double in the 11th inning for Detroit, but Luke Keaschall landed a single in front of a diving Ben Malgeri to tie it at 6.

Minnesota, which won 11-1 Monday and 15-2 Tuesday, lost for the first time in four games and remains 3 1/2 games back of Cleveland for the third American League wild-card spot. Three other teams are between them.

Brooks Lee had three hits and Josh Bell two for the Twins, 4 for 21 with runners in scoring position, but scored three times in the eighth inning, two on a Royce Lewis single, to tie it at 5.

Detroit was 6 for 23 with runners on second or third.

Peck, who was called up Monday from Triple-A Toledo, had a two-run double in the second and added an RBI single in the sixth for a 5-1 lead.

Up next

Tigers: Open a four-game series Friday in Cleveland with RHP Keider Montero (9-8, 3.24 ERA) and LHP Andrew Sears (0-1, 6.75) starting in a day-night doubleheader.

Twins: RHP Zebby Matthews (9-8, 4.58) goes Friday to open a three-game series at the Chicago White Sox.

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