Jeffers seizes the moment with late heroics in extra-innings win

DETROIT -- With the Minnesota offense in such rough shape while down two of its stars, manager Rocco Baldelli noted that the club would simply need to rely on the talent left in the clubhouse -- and Ryan Jeffers seized the moment.

Instead of letting the disappointment of the Carlos Correa injury in Friday’s series opener snowball into something much bigger, Jeffers came off the bench and took control of the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader, accounting for five runs from the eighth inning on to prime a desperately needed 11-5 victory over the Tigers in 12 innings, only the Twins’ second win in their last seven games.

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Minnesota immediately built on that momentum with an easier 4-1 win in the nightcap to help right the ship after its difficult start.

“He had highly competitive at-bats the whole day,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “He’s definitely settling in offensively. He looks very comfortable at the plate. He’s putting good swings on the ball.”

Though the Twins’ lineup once again couldn’t get much going against the opposing starter -- this time, two runs in six innings off former teammate Kenta Maeda -- it did find barely enough fight late in the game thanks to Jeffers’ late heroics.

“For me, individually, coming off the bench, a day you’re not starting, I ended up getting three ABs and three important ABs,” Jeffers said. “It was awesome. I couldn’t ask for more.”

When Jeffers entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the eighth to face left-handed reliever Tyler Holton, Tigers skipper A.J. Hinch countered by replacing Holton with right-hander Shelby Miller -- but no matter. Jeffers crushed a Miller fastball a Statcast-projected 403 feet to left, erasing a 3-2 deficit by ending a 23-inning scoreless streak by Miller that dated back to last June 3.

And after Minnesota could not bring home the automatic runner in the top of the 10th, Jeffers again took control in the 11th by knocking a leadoff RBI single to left field -- though Detroit, once again, responded by knotting things up.

Fine, leave it to Jeffers one last time -- and given another shot in the 12th inning with the bases loaded, he put the game away for good, first depleting reliever Alex Lange with a grueling 12-pitch at-bat before snapping the tie one final time by chopping a grounder through third baseman Zach McKinstry that was ruled an error but brought home three more Minnesota runs, priming the seven-run, winning frame.

“He didn’t give in at all,” Jeffers said. “He executed his pitch. He got the ground ball. He got what he wanted obviously, but when you put the ball in play -- it’s something we’ve said a lot around here -- when you put the ball in play, good things happen.”