MINNEAPOLIS — The Detroit Tigers needed Matthew Boyd.
He surrendered four runs in the second inning in Thursday against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field, which might ordinarily suggest an early departure. The one problem: The Tigers have bullpen-only games scheduled for Friday and Sunday.
So Boyd had to pitch deep into the first game of the series.
The left-hander bounced back from the second-inning troubles, which included a three-run home run with two strikes and two outs, and completed six innings. The Tigers won, 8-4, helped out by a three-run top of the ninth.