None of that mattered once the game got rolling. Minnesota buried Detroit early and kept piling on, and by the time it was over the final was lopsided enough that anything priced beforehand was already beside the point.
The Twins put a 3-spot on the board in the 5th and followed it with 10 more in the 6th — the kind of stretch that turns a manageable deficit into a laugher in the span of a few batters. Royce Lewis led the charge with a 3-for-4 night and 3 RBI, punctuated by a home run to center. Ryan Jeffers added a 3-run shot to left, and Kody Clemens tacked on a solo homer of his own.
Detroit is now 63-74 and has struggled to find any rhythm in a lineup that's been shorthanded most of the summer. Minnesota improved to 66-72 and pushed its winning streak to 3, a small step in a season that's mostly been about figuring out what's next rather than chasing October.
Neither club is playing for much beyond pride at this point, but nights like this one are exactly why Minnesota fans have stuck around — a lineup that can erupt out of nowhere, even with regulars missing, against a Detroit staff that's stretched thin down the stretch.