Clutch hitting, bullpen pitching escape Twins in 7-3 loss to Detroit

DETROIT — Derek Law received the quintessential "Welcome to the team!" gift from his compatriots in the Twins bullpen Saturday.

For his debut in the Minnesota uniform, he inherited a bases-loaded situation deep into a never-ending seventh inning with Detroit already ahead by a run.

And with teammates like that, well, it's no wonder Law's first Twins' outing sunk to the level of the rest of the drowning relievers in a 7-3 loss.

On Law's fourth pitch, Niko Goodrum smacked a two-run single to center field. And it only worsened from there for the Twins, who faced 11 batters via two relievers and gave up five hits and five runs in that seventh inning.

The Twins' dire pitching all around leveled the series with the Tigers at a game each.

The Twins fell to 12-20 while Detroit – the only team in the American League with a less desirable record than the Twins – improved to 10-24.

Detroit's Robbie Grossman hit a leadoff home run on Twins' starter Jose Berrios' third pitch of the game. Goodrum hit an RBI double off Berrios in the fourth.

Josh Donaldson leveled the score in the fifth inning with his third home run of the season, a 425-foot shot to left center scoring Max Kepler.

But the seventh inning was game-breaker. Berrios came out after clawing his way through six innings, allowing six hits, two earned runs (including the homer) and five walks, striking out just his final batter. But reliever Tyler Duffey undid all that work, giving up three hits, four earned runs and a walk in just 2/3 inning.

That started with Miguel Cabrera's RBI single that scored Grossman, who made it on base in all of his five attempts Saturday. That set up Law's outing.

While he managed to escape the ninth without any more runs, Law ended the game with three hits, one earned run, three walks and two strikeouts in his 1 1/3 innings.

Donaldson managed a consolation run in the eighth, with his double driving in Andrelton Simmons.

The Twins made it interesting in the ninth, loading the bases with two outs before Max Kepler grounded out to first to end the game. All told, Minnesota left 16 runners on base and went just 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position.

The series wraps Sunday, with a 12:10 p.m. scheduled first pitch.