Tigers 6, Twins 8: Framber Valdez’s brutal first proved insurmountable
That first inning was hard to overcome.
Apr 8, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton (25) steals home plate beating the tag by Detroit Tigers pitcher Framber Valdez (59) during the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Johnson-Imagn Images | Jordan Johnson-Imagn Images Another chilly day for a game in Minnesota (honestly, scheduling games before May in the midwest is really a fool’s errand, but that’s baseball for you). The Tigers, currently on a three-game losing streak, were looking to break up the bad luck with Framber Valdez on the mound.
They’d be facing off against Bailey Ober for the Twins, whose only aim was to continue the Twins’ winning run against their division rivals. The Tigers quickly went 1-2-3 to start the game. As things headed into the bottom of the first, Byron Buxton got a base hit immediately.
Austin Martin was then hit by a pitch to put two baserunners on. Then, what should have either been a force-out or even a double play turned into a bases loaded scenario as Luke Keaschall reached on a fielder’s choice. A wild pitch from Valdez allowed Buxton to score.
Ryan Jeffers then hit a ground out to score Martin. The inning continued to be a bummer, as Victor Caratini walked. Josh Bell then singled to get Keaschall in.
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