Verlander solid, but Twins win with 7 in ninth off Tigers relievers
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- A hanging slider from Joakim Soria resulted in another game-ending home run from Brian Dozier that spoiled Justin Verlander's best start of the season.
Dozier hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to cap a seven-run rally and give the Minnesota Twins an 8-6 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Friday night.
The Twins scored seven times in the ninth off Soria and Bruce Rondon after being limited to one run by Verlander, who went 7 2-3 innings.
"Feel badly because Verlander threw a nice game and I blew it," Soria said. "It's part of baseball and sometimes the ball goes like that."
Dozier's RBI single in the eighth chased Verlander, who allowed five hits and struck out six in his fifth start since coming off the disabled list.
Eddie Rosario had an RBI single in the ninth, Soria hit Kurt Suzuki with a pitch with the bases loaded and Danny Santana drove in two runs with a single before Dozier's 19th home run of the season.
Dozier, who also hit a game-ending homer on Monday against Baltimore, was part of the American League's final player vote for the All-Star game and found out before the game he finished second to Kansas City third baseman Mike Moustakas.
"Dozier's, I was trying to mix it up," Soria said. "Slider and he ended up hitting it out of the ballpark."
Trevor May (6-7) pitched a scoreless ninth, giving up two hits to start the inning, then getting three popups with runners on first and third.
"That one stunk," Detroit manager Brad Ausmus said. "Can't pout about it. Got another game and we'll come back and go at it again."
Yoenis Cespedes had three hits, including a three-run homer, for Detroit. Victor Martinez and J.D. Martinez added home runs for the Tigers off Twins starter Ervin Santana.
Verlander hasn't been the near-100 mph pitcher from his past since returning from the right triceps strain which knocked him out of the season's first two months. But he kept Minnesota off balance with a breaking ball and a low-to-mid 90s fastball.
"I was executing my pitches much better throughout the course of the game, including the stretch, which is where I kind of lost it in my previous start," Verlander said. "Got to focus on the positives. We've been playing good baseball. Just didn't happen for us tonight."
COMMUNICATING LATE
C Alex Avila made several trips to the mound to talk with Soria in the ninth. Both players said communication issues didn't lead to the collapse.
"As the count goes on, the longer the night there's a guy there on second base, the more times he sees you flashing signs," Avila said. "You just want to make sure."
CHAMBERLAIN RELEASED
A week after designating Joba Chamberlain for assignment, the Tigers gave the right-handed reliever his unconditional release on Friday. Chamberlain was 0-2 with a 4.09 ERA in 30 games in his second season with Detroit after signing a one-year, $1 million contract in the offseason.
"It wouldn't shock me if somebody took a shot at him thinking maybe a change of environment would be good for him," Ausmus said.
MISSING OUT
Dozier and Cespedes fell short in the final player vote for the AL All-Star team. Moustakas won the vote in the AL, with St. Louis Cardinals RHP Carlos Martinez being awarded in the NL.
UP NEXT
Detroit RHP Alfredo Simon (8-5, 4.18 ERA) will try to snap a streak of allowing at least five runs in four straight games when he faces RHP Phil Hughes for the Twins in a Saturday afternoon matchup. Hughes (7-6, 4.19) has won three straight decisions and allowed two runs or fewer in three of his last four games.
