Buxton's 20th Homer Powers Twins to Victory Over Tigers

DETROIT (AP) — In a thrilling matchup, Byron Buxton launched his 20th home run of the season, helping the Minnesota Twins secure a 6-3 victory against the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night. The game experienced a weather-related delay of 1 hour and 7 minutes during the first inning.

Royce Lewis set the tone for the Twins by hitting a remarkable 444-foot homer in the second inning, marking the second-longest of his career. Buxton followed suit in the fifth, delivering a powerful three-run shot that extended Minnesota's lead to 4-1. This achievement makes Buxton only the third player in Twins history to hit 20 or more home runs within the first 69 games, joining legends Harmon Killebrew and Justin Morneau. He is also among just four players in Major League Baseball to reach this milestone this season.

On the mound, Taylor Rogers (2-3) was dominant, striking out two batters during a hitless fourth inning to earn the win. Yoendrys Gómez later secured his fifth save of the year. Making his debut as a starter, Mike Paredes pitched three innings for Minnesota.

The Tigers managed to tie the game in the third with an RBI double from Gleyer Torres, and Kerry Carpenter's two-run single in the fifth brought them within one run. However, Framber Valdez (3-5) struggled, allowing four runs on six hits over five innings.

Looking ahead, the Twins are scheduled to have RHP Zebby Matthews (2-3, 4.15 ERA) face RHP Keider Montero (2-4, 3.95 ERA) on Thursday.