Twins: Late wakeup call for woebegone Tigers

Carlos Osorio, Associated Press

Delmon Young (21) is congratulated by teammate Adam Everett after scoring in the second inning.

The Twins bullpen coughed up a big lead as Detroit scored six runs in the eighth inning.

By JOE CHRISTENSEN, Star Tribune

Last update: April 15, 2008 - 7:50 AM

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DETROIT 11, TWINS 9

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DETROIT - After two weeks following the Detroit Tigers' struggles from afar, the Twins got a first-hand look Monday and knew they shouldn't believe their eyes.

For 5 1/2 innings, the Tigers looked as woeful as the New York Knights in "The Natural," pre-Roy Hobbs. Every other play was accompanied by boos and groans from the announced crowd of 32,002 at Comerica Park.

The Tigers seemed lifeless and buried, but the Twins triggered their awakening, as Detroit stormed back in the late innings for a mystifying 11-9 victory.

The Twins led 5-0 in the sixth inning and 9-5 in the eighth but still stumbled to their second consecutive defeat.

Afterward, Twins reliever Matt Guerrier took the blame.

There had been a moment after the seventh when Guerrier hugged right fielder Denard Span in the dugout, hoping the rookie wouldn't worry about the ball that bounced off his glove and over the fence.

That home run by Ivan Rodriguez had trimmed the Twins' lead to 9-5.

"It was kind of a goofy thing," Guerrier said. "You can laugh when you're up by five runs. But then you turn around and throw it away. You can't be losing those games. I just wasn't good, and that's terrible."

Guerrier said he felt worst for rookie Nick Blackburn, who handed him a 5-3 lead in the sixth inning, looking for his first major league victory.

Guerrier and Pat Neshek also combined to squander Blackburn's chance for a victory in his previous start, April 7 in Chicago.

This time, Gary Sheffield and Magglio Ordonez opened the eighth with back-to-back doubles off Guerrier, trimming the lead to 9-6, as Neshek started warming in the bullpen.

Asked why he didn't turn to Neshek to start the eighth, manager Ron Gardenhire said: "We had a four-run lead. Neshek's a setup guy. If it's a three-run lead or a two-run lead, we use him in those situations. I would think Matt Guerrier could get through. At 9-5, I think we're doing OK there."

Last year, the Twins believed they overworked Neshek, leading him to wear down at the end of the season.

"We're going to try to use somebody else," Gardenhire said. "You can't go and pitch those guys in every close ballgame. It just won't work that way."

Guerrier appeared to get one out when Miguel Cabrera hit a routine grounder to shortstop, but Adam Everett, who has been bothered by a sore shoulder, feathered a one-hop throw that Justin Morneau couldn't handle at first.

"We missed one play in the eighth that absolutely killed us," Gardenhire said.

The Twins would have turned to Neshek right there, "but it took him probably a hitter longer than it normally does because of the cold," Gardenhire said.

Neshek offered no explanation, leaving the clubhouse as Guerrier spoke to reporters.

Gardenhire finally turned to Neshek after Carlos Guillen hit an RBI single, trimming the lead to 9-7.

Moments later, Rodriguez hit a two-run triple, tying the score. Then, former Twins outfielder Jacque Jones hit a sacrifice fly, scoring the fist-pumping Rodriguez with the go-ahead run.

The Tigers are a major league-worst 3-10, but after this one, they jumped for joy in the infield.

"With a lineup like that, any mistake is magnified," Blackburn said. "Obviously, they've been in a slump, but they can wake up at any time."