The Detroit Tigers took care of business at Comerica Park on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, beating the Minnesota Twins 7-2 in a nine-inning division matchup that was never really in doubt after the early innings. Colt Keith's two-run home run headlined the offense, Tyler Holton posted two scoreless innings to earn the win, and a bullpen that combined to allow just two earned runs over the final five innings did enough to make a five-run cushion hold comfortably.

Keider Montero Labors Early, Bullpen Steps Up

Keider Montero started for Detroit and gave the Tigers four innings of work, but it wasn't clean. He allowed two earned runs on two hits and two walks while striking out two. The Twins scratched out their damage against him, getting solo contributions from Kody Clemens and Josh Bell — each of whom went deep — but Minnesota's offense couldn't build anything beyond that.

The real story was what happened once Holton took the ball. The left-hander worked two perfect innings, punching out two batters without allowing a hit or a walk. That two-inning stretch was the turning point of the game: it prevented any Twins momentum from building and allowed the Tigers to keep extending their lead on the offensive side.

Tyler Kinley followed with 0.2 innings, allowing two hits but no runs. Drew Sommers was arguably the most dominant arm out of the pen, retiring hitters over 1.1 innings with three strikeouts and no baserunners allowed. Kyle Finnegan closed it out over the ninth, giving up one hit but keeping the scoreboard clean.

Twins Starter Zebby Matthews Couldn't Find the Zone

Minnesota's night unraveled early thanks to a brutal outing from starter Zebby Matthews. The right-hander lasted just 2.1 innings, surrendering five earned runs on two hits and four walks. That walk total is what buried him — Detroit was patient, worked counts, and made Matthews pay every time he fell behind. Travis Adams came on in relief and steadied things with 2.2 solid innings of three-strikeout, no-run work, but the deficit was already too deep for Minnesota to overcome.

Colt Keith's Home Run Provides the Spark

On the Detroit side of the box score, Colt Keith was the standout offensive performer. He went 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI, providing the kind of extra-base pop that put the game out of reach. The Twins did get homers from both Kody Clemens — 1-for-4 with a solo shot — and Josh Bell, who went 2-for-4 with a home run and an RBI, but those were isolated moments that never added up to a real threat against a Tigers team that had already built a comfortable lead.

Key Performances

  • Colt Keith (DET): 1-for-3, 1 HR, 2 RBI
  • Tyler Holton (DET): 2.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 2 K (Win)
  • Drew Sommers (DET): 1.1 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 3 K
  • Keider Montero (DET): 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 2 K
  • Josh Bell (MIN): 2-for-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI
  • Kody Clemens (MIN): 1-for-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI
  • Zebby Matthews (MIN): 2.1 IP, 5 ER, 2 H, 4 BB, 2 K (Loss)

What's Next

Detroit stays at Comerica Park to continue this division series against Minnesota. With the Tigers holding a five-run winning margin in Wednesday's game, the pitching staff — specifically the back end of that bullpen — showed it can handle late-inning situations. The question heading into the next game is whether Montero's early-inning control issues are a concern or a one-night blip. If the offense keeps forcing opposing starters out of games before the third inning, as they did to Matthews, the Tigers' deeper bullpen becomes a significant advantage in this series.