Luke Keaschall, Twins offense chase ex-teammate Chris Paddack in win over Tigers

DETROIT – Stepping back into a major league’s batters box for the first time in 103 days, Luke Keaschall welcomed himself back with a home run in his first at-bat.

Facing former teammate Chris Paddack at Comerica Park, Keaschall fouled the first pitch he saw Tuesday night. He hammered the next pitch, an 89-mph cutter, and sent the ball sailing over the left-field wall for a two-run homer. Keaschall wasn’t sure where the Twins bullpen was located, so he waved in the wrong direction before breaking into a smile once he returned to the dugout following his first career homer.

“It’s been 100 days?” Keaschall said. “That’s the part I don’t like to hear right there.”

If the Twins had Keaschall all season, especially hitting the way he has hit, maybe they don’t end up trading away Paddack and nine other big-league players.

That’s revisionist history now. The Twins are focused on developing Keaschall, who was playing in his first game since he was hit by a pitch that broke his forearm April 25. Keaschall added an RBI single in the fifth inning during the Twins’ 6-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers, providing plenty of run support for starter Zebby Matthews, who allowed one run in five innings.

“I mean, I wouldn’t expect anything less from [Keaschall],” Matthews said. “I’ve seen him play in the minors, and he’s special. You don’t want to take your eyes off him.”

Paddack, making his second start with his new team, was pulled after four innings and 57 pitches. He allowed six hits and four runs while he generated zero strikeouts and only one swing and miss.

Keaschall still has two souvenir baseballs, from his first hit and first double, sitting inside his locker at Target Field. Now he’ll have another he can add to his collection. Keaschall has reached base in all eight games he has played in the major leagues. He’s the first Twins rookie to begin his career with a seven-game hitting streak since Miguel Sanó in 2015.

“It sits in my locker because I don’t know what to do it otherwise,” Keaschall said. “Put in a room somewhere, I guess, right? We’ll find a place for it eventually. But for now it’s going to sit in my locker until the end of the year.”

Trevor Larnach pulled an 88-mph cutter from Paddack into the right-field seats in the fourth inning for his second homer in as many days. Larnach has six hits and four RBI in four games this month.

The Twins scored two runs in the fifth inning off Tigers reliever Rafael Montero, acquired from Atlanta at the trade deadline. Jeffers hit an RBI double and Keaschall followed with a two-out RBI single through the left side of the infield.

BOXSCORE: Twins 6, Detroit 3

Matthews was sharp against a Tigers team that entered Tuesday with the best record in the American League, striking out four of his first eight batters. His slider and cutter were effective weapons, paired with a fastball that averaged 96 mph.

“It feels good to get the chase, swing and miss, especially against a team like that, but as cool as it is, I just want to go out there and get outs,” said Matthews, who threw 80 pitches in his first four innings.

Detroit scored a run in the third inning, benefiting from some poor outfield defense. Colt Keith hit a one-out double after Larnach came up empty on a diving attempt in left field. With two outs, Austin Martin dropped a fly ball, which allowed Keith to score.

In the eighth inning, there were two runners on base with two outs when Jahmai Jones lined a ball into center field. Martin made a bad decision to dive for a ball that was out of his reach. Jones ended up with a two-run triple on the misplay, but Cole Sands finished the inning with a flyout.

Michael Tonkin, Kody Funderburk, Sands and Justin Topa — the four bullpen holdovers who weren’t shipped away at the trade deadline — handled the final 12 outs.