Minnesota Twins at Detroit Tigers: Final Score & Recap

The Detroit Tigers defeated the Minnesota Twins 5-4 at Comerica Park on September 7, 2026, in a game that was tighter than the final margin suggests through much of the middle innings. Detroit entered with a 53% pre-game win probability according to the DiamondIQ model, and after a back-and-forth early stretch that saw both clubs score in the first and Detroit add two more in the second, the game remained genuinely competitive into the late innings before the Tigers ultimately held on.

The pivotal sequence came in the fifth and sixth innings. Riley Greene's home run off Connor Prielipp in the bottom of the fifth was the game's single most consequential swing, shifting win probability by 17.5 points in Detroit's favor and serving as the centerpiece of his night — he finished as the top batter by WPA at plus 19.9% with a RE24 of plus 1.2. Minnesota answered in the top of the sixth when Walker Jenkins doubled off Troy Melton, a plus 17.8% swing that briefly made it a contest again, and Jenkins finished second among all batters at plus 17.7% WPA and plus 1.6 RE24. However, Kody Clemens' strikeout against Tyler Kinley later in that same inning erased much of Minnesota's momentum, costing the Twins 11.5 points of win probability and leaving the door open for Detroit to maintain control.

Minnesota's late-game bid collapsed under the weight of two critical double plays. Kaelen Culpepper grounded into a double play off Drew Sommers in the eighth, a minus 16.4% swing, and Josh Bell followed with another double play against Kenley Jansen in the ninth, draining a further 15.7 points from Minnesota's chances. Jansen closed out the win as the top pitcher by WPA at plus 15.2%, with Sommers contributing plus 10.8% and Jacob Waguespack adding plus 8.5%. Trevor Larnach provided the lone bright spot for Minnesota in the loss, finishing with plus 10.7% WPA and plus 1.0 RE24, though it proved insufficient as the DiamondIQ model's estimate reached 100% by game's end.