(DETROIT) – Nelson Cruz hit a drive just foul down the line in right field, narrowly missing a grand slam. The play was reviewed and the call was upheld — but Cruz could have saved everyone some time if he'd known what would happen on the very next pitch. Cruz cleared the bases with a home run — this time pulling the ball to left — and the Minnesota Twins were well on their way to a 15-6 rout of the Detroit Tigers on Monday. Cruz added a solo homer and a double, and Matt Shoemaker held Detroit hitless into the fifth inning. Akil Baddoo hit a grand slam for the Tigers in the ninth, but by then the game was well out of hand. ...... {LISTEN}. Tiger infielder Harold Castro pitched a hitless ninth. Detroit scored five with two outs in the bottom half on a solo homer by Victor Reyes and the slam by Baddoo. Shoemaker (1-0) held the Tigers without a hit until Wilson Ramos homered with two outs in the fifth. He allowed three hits in six innings with five strikeouts and earned his first victory since April 9, 2019, before he was beset by injuries. Shoemaker, a Michigan native, has dominated the Tigers in his career, going 5-1 with a 0.79 ERA in seven starts against Detroit. José Ureña (0-1) lasted only three innings in his Tigers debut. The right-hander allowed five earned runs, four hits and four walks with five strikeouts. He threw 66 pitches in the first two innings alone.

(audio courtesy of FSR 99.7 FM/1230 AM and the Detroit Tigers)