Sonny Gray struck out 10 batters in seven scoreless innings, and the Minnesota Twins held on for a 2-0 win over the visiting Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night in Minneapolis.
Gio Urshela and Carlos Correa notched one RBI apiece for the Twins, who won their sixth game in a row. Minnesota is a season-best 11 games over .500.
Gray (2-1) was masterful in recording his second victory in a row. He limited the Tigers to four hits and issued one walk while notching double-digit strikeouts for the first time this season.
Tigers rookie right-hander Beau Brieske (0-4) remained winless to start his big-league career. He allowed two runs on six hits in four innings. He walked one and struck out three.
Minnesota right-hander Tyler Duffey replaced Gray in the eighth. He struck out two while pitching a scoreless inning and throwing seven of 12 pitches for strikes.
Twins rookie right-hander Jhoan Duran entered the game in the ninth and pitched a scoreless inning for his fourth save.
Duran put runners on first and second base with one out after Miguel Cabrera singled and Jeimer Candelario was hit by a pitch. But he escaped trouble by getting Willi Castro to ground into a game-ending double play.
The Twins got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second. Urshela singled to left field to drive in Max Kepler, who had reached base on a one-out walk.
Minnesota made it 2-0 in the bottom of the third. Luis Arraez ripped a one-out single to center field and came around to score on a double by Correa in the next at-bat.
The Tigers had a chance to score in the sixth, when Jonathan Schoop hit a leadoff single to center and advanced to second on a passed ball by Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers. But Schoop was stranded at second after Cabrera struck out, Javier Baez flied out to second and Candelario struck out.
The Twins and Tigers will meet again Wednesday afternoon for the third and final game of the series.
–Field Level Media
