Continued: Twins bullpen adds to pile of recent failures and flops

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DETROIT 6, TWINS 4

Up next: 1:10 p.m. today vs. Detroit • TV: Ch. 29 metro, FSN outstate

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Most of the implosions by the Twins bullpen this season have occurred on the road. Not on Saturday, when it happened live and in Dome color in front of a huge crowd.

The Twins led by three runs after six innings, but the Tigers blew past them with home runs off Dennys Reyes and Matt Guerrier in the eighth to snatch a 6-4 victory. The blows stunned an announced crowd of 42,606, the third-largest crowd of the season at the Dome, and dropped the Twins to 21/2 games behind the Central Division-leading Chicago White Sox.

In 14 games since Aug. 23, the Twins bullpen is 0-7 with a 6.49 ERA and has blown four consecutive save opportunities and six of its past eight.

The Twins just came off a 14-game road trip during which they absorbed four walk-off losses.

"Obviously we didn't see this coming," said Twins starter Scott Baker, who went 7 1/3 innings before the game fell apart. "They have been so good for so long [in the pen]. It's the last thing you expect."

There's nothing that can rattle a team like a leaky bullpen, but Baker said it's important right now to support the relievers.

"I'm going to look at it as we are a team," Baker said. "We are going to pick each other up as best as possible. It just didn't work out today."

Baker walked the leadoff hitter three consecutive innings but chugged into the eighth having given up only two runs. After striking out Brandon Inge to start the inning, he walked Ramon Santiago. Twins manager Ron Gardenhire went to mound, and Baker kicked at the dirt while his infield rushed in and patted him on the back after a strong effort.

In came Reyes, whose day was a short one. He threw three pitches, two were strikes and one was struck by Curtis Granderson over the baggie for a two-run homer and a tied score. Granderson was 0-for-7 with four strikeouts against Reyes before the homer, and Reyes had retired the first batter in 19 consecutive appearances before Saturday.

Guerrier replaced Reyes and gave up a single to center by Placido Polanco on an 0-2 count. Then, with a shot that sucked the atmosphere out of the Dome, Magglio Ordonez clubbed a two-run homer to left that gave Detroit a 6-4 lead. It was the fourth time this season the Tigers have come back in the eighth inning against the Twins.

"I threw four sliders to Magglio, and he hit the fourth one out," Guerrier said. "I was a good pitch, but after seeing four, obviously a good hitter is going to capitalize on a pitch he's seen three times before."

The Twins threatened in the ninth against closer Fernando Rodney. Nick Punto walked. Denard Span singled to center. And Alexi Casilla dropped a perfect bunt in front of home plate, loading the bases with one out.

Rodney struck out Joe Mauer, but Justin Morneau dug in, 6-for-10 against Rodney with three doubles and two homers.

Morneau hit the ball hard. But it was right at second baseman Polanco, ending the game.

So another loss was hung on the struggling Twins bullpen.

"A couple mistakes out of the bullpen and there you have it," Gardenhire said. "We lost a ballgame we should have won."

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