Inside the Article:
It was a letdown at Comerica Park earlier this afternoon, as the Detroit Tigers spoiled their chance to gain even further ground in the American League Central Division-leading Minnesota Twins. A comeback win for the visiting Twins earned them the series victory and improved to 40-39 in 2023, while the Tigers dropped to a full ten games below the .500 mark at 33-43.
The Twins were aided by a costly Nick Maton error
Former Tiger Willi Castro hit what should have been a routine groundout to 3rd base. However, he was able to reach 1st thanks to a costly throwing error from Nick Maton, who sailed the ball well over Spencer Torkelson‘s head and allowed the Twins to knot up the score in the 8th inning.
Unfortunately, that would not be the only whiff of the afternoon from Maton, who misplayed a grounder from Minnesota’s Royce Lewis in the 10th inning, allowing the go-ahead run to safely reach home plate. Minnesota would ultimately escape with a 6-3 win.
Maton acknowledged his error
“It just happened,” said Maton. “It slipped out of my hand. It can’t happen in a big situation like that, but you got to move on, keep your head up and keep going.”
Maton was ultimately optioned to Triple-A Toledo shortly after the game. And for manager A.J. Hinch, who said that Maton needed a “mental reset,” his team squandering a golden opportunity was certainly nothing short of frustrating.
Manager A.J. Hinch’s frustration was obvious
“It’s very frustrating because we made the wrong mistake at the wrong time, and it was very costly,” Hinch said. “What I saw was just an errant throw. … It was a bad time to make a bad error with where the game was and in a one-run game.”
“It’s a tough spot for any pitcher to come in, with a guy on second and nobody out, in the middle of their order,” Hinch said. “But honestly, some of the misplays cost us pitches today and also brings up those guys up in the batting order in the 10th inning. The mistakes compound as you go along the game, and it put them right in the heart of their order. It’s tough.”
Key Points
- The Tigers fell to the Twins in extra innings
- A pair of errors from Nick Maton proved extremely costly
- Maton was optioned to Triple-A Toledo afterward
- A.J. Hinch expressed frustration over the loss
Wrapping It Up: Things don’t get any easier for Detroit
Things are not going to be getting any easier for the Tigers as we look ahead in their schedule.
They’ll be heading down to Texas for a four-game set against the Texas Rangers, who are 17 games over the .500 mark at 47-30 so far in 2023. The series opener begins tomorrow from Globe Life Field. Can the Tigers rebound?
