Joe Ryan's return to rotation is promising, but Twins lose to Tigers in Labor Day matinee

Bobby Nightengale, The Minnesota Star Tribune on Sep 7, 2026

Published in Baseball

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The Minnesota Twins hoped to play meaningful games in September, and it’s debatable whether they even made it to Labor Day.

Not even the return of All-Star starting pitcher Joe Ryan could rescue the Twins, who lost 5-4 to the Detroit Tigers on Monday and matched their low point of the season by falling eight games below .500 with a 68-76 record.

The Cleveland Guardians, who currently hold the American League’s final wild-card spot, took three of four games from the Tigers in their weekend series with three walk-off wins.

The Twins, meanwhile, lost four of their past five games with their longshot playoff dreams at stake.

The Twins are 4 1/2 games out of a playoff spot with 18 games left in their season. Not even a weak wild-card race could save the Twins’ season.

Since the Twins completed a three-game sweep over Atlanta on Aug. 19, which briefly put the Twins in playoff position, they have posted a 5-11 record.

Ryan, activated from the 15-day injured list Monday, struck out seven batters in four innings, but he yielded three runs. Kevin McGonigle hit a solo homer in the first inning.

Zach McKinstry opened the bottom of the second inning with a leadoff triple, and the Tigers scored two runs without the ball leaving the infield again. Ryan gave up a run after he issued a walk and hit two batters on consecutive pitches, then first baseman Royce Lewis committed an error on a wide throw to the plate after he fielded a grounder.

Connor Prielipp replaced Ryan in the fifth inning, and he surrendered a two-run homer to Riley Greene. Prielipp, pitching out of the bullpen for a second straight appearance, struck out five in four innings.

The Twins totaled one hit in seven at-bats with a runner in scoring position and left 10 men on base. They also hit into four double plays, including one in each of the last three innings.

Walker Jenkins hit a two-run double in the sixth inning, lining a full-count cutter from Tigers starter Troy Melton to center. But the Twins left the bases loaded in the sixth when Kody Clemens struck out following two walks from Tigers reliever Tyler Kinley.

The Twins had the tying run at third base in the eighth inning after Jenkins was hit by a pitch and Luke Keaschall followed with a single, but Brooks Lee flew out.

After Clemens drew a leadoff walk in the ninth inning, Ryan Jeffers flew out to the warning track in center field, the deepest part of Comerica Field. Josh Bell, the next batter, grounded into a game-ending double play.

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