Detroit Tigers third baseman Zach McKinstry would like to quickly forget the events of the 12th inning during the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader against the Minnesota Twins.
With the score tied 4-4 in in the top of the 12th, Ryan Jeffers of the Twins faced a full count with two outs. He would hit a bouncing grounder to McKinstry at third base, who then watched as the ball went through his legs. Detroit would score three runs on the error to go up 7-4.
“I tried to make a play, and it just didn’t happen,” said McKinstry, who finished last season as a Gold Glove finalist. “I played myself into a bad hop and got a little too aggressive on it. I should have maybe retreated a little bit. It just took a weird hop on me.”
Despite facing two outs, the Twins were not done scoring in the inning — and McKinstry was not done having a hand in the visitors’ big inning.
McKinstry would soon end up on the mound in the top of the 12th inning, but only because of a mistake by Tigers manager A.J. Hinch.
Hinch had forgotten pitching coach Chris Fetter visited reliever Alex Lange earlier in the inning. When the Tigers manager walked out to talk to Lange after McKinstry’s error that counted for a second visit and Lange needed to be replaced.
In came McKinstry, who walked Manuel Margot before Matt Wallner stepped to the plate and blasted a three-run home run to make it 11-4 Twins.
If you’re counting at home, that was six runs allowed that can be charged to McKinstry.
Asked how to flush that play and move on, McKinstry joked that the way *not* to do it is to walk a batter and then serve up a home run, as he did moments later while pitching.
It was that kind of day.
— Evan Woodbery (@evanwoodbery) April 14, 2024
The eight runs scored by the Twins in extra innings was the most in franchise history since Aug. 1, 1970, which also came during a win over the Tigers, per ESPN Stats and Information.
The Tigers would add one run in the bottom of the 12th inning, but ultimately fell short in the 11-5 loss.
Hinch owned up to his error after the game saying his purpose for visiting Lange was to tell him that a position player would come in after one more batter, knowing he needed arms for the second game of the doubleheader.
“I screwed that up totally,” Hinch said.
The Twins would take the doubleheader with a 4-1 win in the nightcap.
Source Agencies
