MINNEAPOLIS -- Robbie Grossman loves the way the Tigers have grown this season, but he hasn’t been nearly as happy with his own performance. As he watched his game-tying two-run homer soar into the night sky at his old home park, Target Field on Monday night, he was a little closer.

On a night when Miguel Cabrera’s 495th career home run ignited what looked like a dormant Detroit offense and drew the veteran closer to the 500-homer club, Grossman’s pinch-hit drive helped give the Tigers new life before Max Kepler’s 10th-inning RBI single sent the Tigers to their eighth consecutive road loss with a 6-5 defeat.

Grossman had a rare day out of the Tigers’ lineup Monday following a 1-for-11 series in Kansas City. Even with Monday’s heroics, his .228 average would be a career low for him. Despite one of the best walk rates and lowest chase rates in the game, he isn’t doing as much as he can with the pitches he hits. His 35.2 percent hard-hit rate is down from last year’s abbreviated season, according to Statcast, as is his 88.4 mph average exit velocity.

It has been a frustrating turn for someone whose veteran leadership has meant plenty in a clubhouse that keeps getting younger with seemingly every move -- and could get younger, still, after Friday’s Trade Deadline. 

“I take a lot of pride in what I do, and I’m not where I want to be statistically,” Grossman said before the game. “I’m proud of our team, I’m proud of how we play and how we’ve grown, but individually, I’m not where I want to be. In these last 60 games, I really want to play my butt off.” 

Though he’s hitting balls on the sweet spot of his bat at a career-best 40.7 percent, according to Statcast, part of his struggles have come from a 36.8 percent fly-ball rate that is by far the highest of his career. His average launch angle has jumped from 15.2 percent in 2020 to 20 percent this season. He has worked to lift the ball more often the last couple of years to avoid groundouts, but he knows an overadjustment to lift balls too much can work against him at times. 

A lot of those struggles have come on the high pitch. 

“It’s just how they’re attacking me,” Grossman said. “It’s a little different than they have before. They found something that works for them, and I know what they’re doing. It’s my chess move now.”

The one pitch Grossman saw Monday from Twins reliever Alex Colomé was hit for another fly ball. However, it was the kind of golf shot that played into his swing. 

Grossman’s 38 degree launch angle was his highest on any hit this season, and his third-highest angle for a home run in the Statcast era. It went to the same overhang seats as Cabrera’s two-run homer three innings earlier, which also briefly tied the game before Brent Rooker’s 460 foot home run off Tigers rookie starter Matt Manning put Minnesota back in front. 

The Tigers’ rally off Colomé came after Twins closer Taylor Rogers left the game with a left middle finger sprain. Colomé inherited a 3-2 count on Jeimer Candelario, whose leadoff single brought the potential tying run to the plate. Grossman had been preparing to pinch-hit for Harold Castro against Rogers, but he quickly adjusted to face Colomé. 

Grossman’s 16th home run of the season is already five more than his career high from 2016, his first of three seasons with the Twins. His eight home runs in last year’s abbreviated season, however, would’ve put him on pace for a 20-homer season in a normal year.

Barring injury, that 20-homer season seems almost inevitable now. But he wants to do more than lift homers. 

“I’ve hit some balls really well in the air,” Grossman said, “but I need some more line drives. I need some more line drives to get down in the gaps. And I’ve been really cautious of that and mindful of that in my work before games.”

With the game tied, Gregory Soto walked the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth but struck out pinch-hitter Willians Astudillo on a 100 mph fastball to send the game to extra innings. Former Tigers farmhand Caleb Thielbar stranded Zack Short on second base in the top of the 10th with help from a quick reaction by Josh Donaldson on Derek Hill’s low line drive and a called third strike on Jonathan Schoop.

Soto nearly sent the game to an 11th inning, but he couldn’t get the call on a 100 mph fastball inside to Andrelton Simmons on a 2-2 pitch. Simmons’ walk extended the inning for Kepler, who sent a single between Hill and Grossman into right-center field. 

“In that situation, he made an excellent pitch,” catcher Eric Haase, who also homered, said of Soto’s 2-2 pitch to Simmons. “I thought it was a no-doubt call and it wasn’t. We ended up turning the lineup over again and obviously, you don’t want that.”