Watch CBS News

Fulmer Impressive In MLB Debut, Tigers Top Twins 9-2

MIKE COOK
Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Michael Fulmer allowed two earned runs in five innings to win his major league debut and the Detroit Tigers beat the Minnesota Twins 9-2 Friday night.

Victor Martinez homered among his four hits, and Miguel Cabrera and Nick Castellanos also went deep for the Tigers, who had a season-high 18 hits.

Considered Detroit's top pitching prospect, Fulmer (1-0) allowed seven hits, walked one and struck out four.

Detroit got the 23-year-old righty last summer in the trade that sent slugger Yoenis Cespedes to the New York Mets. Last season's Eastern League Player of the Year, Fulmer was 1-1 with a 4.11 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 15 1/3 innings of Triple-A action before his Friday call-up.

Consistently reaching the mid-90s with his fastball and coupling it with a sharp slider, Fulmer struck out three of the first six Minnesota hitters.

He was cruising until three straight two-out singles in the fourth inning resulted in one Minnesota run. An RBI double by Miguel Sano pulled the Twins to 4-2 in the fifth.

For the second straight start, Phil Hughes (1-4) struggled to get the first three outs for Minnesota.

J.D. Martinez had an RBI double in the first inning as Detroit took a 3-0 lead. Hughes allowed two first-inning runs last Saturday in a 2-0 loss at Washington.

Hughes, who threw 27 pitches in the first, lasted a season-low five innings, allowing seven hits and four earned runs.

The last of those runs came off the bat Cabrera. A career .439 hitter against Hughes, the slugging Tiger homered in the fifth to make it 4-1. It was Cabrera's sixth career home run off the Minnesota right-hander, his most off any pitcher.

Victor Martinez and Castellanos hit solo shots in the eighth.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Tigers: OF Cameron Maybin (left wrist fracture) was to serve as designated hitter at Triple-A Toledo Friday as he continues his rehabilitation. ... C James McCann was to catch nine innings at Toledo Friday as he works his way back from a right-ankle sprain. Manager Brad Ausmus wouldn't rule out McCann returning to the Tigers this weekend.

Twins: RHP Ervin Santana on the 15-day DL since April 20 with a lower back strain is scheduled to have a light throwing session Saturday. ... Manager Paul Molitor indicated that RHP Kyle Gibson, on the DL since April 23 with a right shoulder strain, probably won't come off when he's eligible, but was optimistic Gibson wouldn't miss much more time than that.

UP NEXT

Tigers: RHP Jordan Zimmermann (4-0, 0.35 ERA) starts Saturday in the middle game of the three-game series. He has allowed just one earned run in his four starts, including 24 1/3 scoreless innings to begin the year.

Twins: RHP Tyler Duffey (0-0, 2.25) pitched four innings last Sunday in Washington before exiting the game after getting hit on his throwing shoulder by a line drive.

 

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.