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 Detroit Tigers manager Brad Ausmus was tossed for arguing balls
and strikes after the fourth inning by home plate umpire Doug
Eddings. Ausmus pulled off his sweatshirt and placed it over home
plate before leaving the field.
Ausmus' antics provided some comic relief during Detroit's wild 10-8
victory over the Minnesota Twins on Monday at Comerica Park.
"That was entertaining," Kinsler said. "I thought he did a good job
of sticking up for his player and obviously, he put on a little
show. I think it got everyone excited. Everyone was excited in the
stands. Anytime you can create energy like that, it's a good thing."
Winning pitcher Jordan Zimmermann got a kick out of it, too.
"I took my time because I didn't know what was going to happen," he
said. "I got on the mound, grabbed the ball, turned around and
everything was cleaned up. And I was ready to pitch."
 Ausmus wanted to prevent hot-hitting Nick Castellanos, who was
called out on strikes before his tirade, from getting ejected. That
proved to be crucial, as Castellanos hit a go-ahead home run in the
seventh after the Tigers squandered an eight-run lead.
Castellanos had two hits and drove in two runs for the Tigers, who
have won two straight after losing 11 of 12.
Kinsler had three hits, including two extra-base hits during an
eight-run first inning, scored two runs and drove in two more for
Detroit. J.D. Martinez supplied three hits, including a homer, and
knocked in two runs while Jose Iglesias added a three-run double.
Detroit's Cameron Maybin, making his season debut after coming off
the 15-day disabled list, reached base three times. Zimmermann (6-2)
got the win despite allowing eight runs, seven earned, in seven
innings while striking out nine.
"It wasn't the prettiest game I've ever pitched or been a part of,"
Zimmermann said.
Francisco Rodriguez recorded his 10th save.
Kurt Suzuki and Miguel Sano homered for Minnesota.
"I'm not big on moral victories but we pecked away," Twins manager
Paul Molitor said. "Then we made a couple of mistakes late and that
was the difference."
Twins rookie starter Jose Berrios lasted just two-thirds of an
inning. He was charged with seven runs on three hits while issuing
four walks.
Minnesota completed its comeback in the seventh inning when Martinez
dropped Trevor Plouffe's two-out fly ball to right field, allowing
Byung Ho Park to score.
"I can honestly say I've never dropped a ball like that," Martinez
said. "I was coming a long way for it. Once I picked it up, I knew I
had it. I just went out to catch it and it hit my palm and popped
out."
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Castellanos led off the bottom of the inning against reliever Pat
Dean (0-1) with his eighth homer. Martinez added an insurance run
with his homer in the eighth.
Kinsler jumped on Berrios' first pitch for his eighth homer of the
season and 33rd leadoff homer of his career. Castellanos drove in
the second run with a one-out single
Berrios' third and fourth walks, the last to Jarrod Saltalamacchia,
forced in the third run with two out. Iglesias then ended Berrios'
night with bases-clearing double off the left-center-field wall.
"I'm not sure how flustered he got by the leadoff home run on the
first pitch but he just had trouble commanding his three pitches,"
Molitor said of Berrios. "They did a good job of making him work."
Kinsler greeted Dean with a bloop double to make it 7-0. Martinez
completed the first-inning barrage with another run-scoring double.
The Twins scored seven runs over the next three innings, highlighted
by a four-run fourth, to cut Detroit's lead to one.
NOTES: Detroit CF Cameron Maybin made his season debut after being
activated from the 15-day disabled list on Monday. Maybin suffered a
wrist fracture when hit by a pitch during spring training, then
sprained his shoulder during one of his rehab stints. "You never
know when a guy's going to be a sparkplug, but he's got a track
record," manager Brad Ausmus said. ... CF Anthony Gose was optioned
to Triple-A Toledo to make room for Maybin. He was hitting .209 with
two home runs and seven RBIs in 91 at-bats. ... Ausmus brushed aside
questions about his job status. "We're beating a dead horse," he
said. ... Minnesota RHP Kyle Gibson, who is recovering from a
shoulder strain, threw a 45-pitch bullpen session on Monday. Gibson
was 0-3 with a 6.10 ERA before he was placed on the 15-day DL April
26. ... Twins DH/1B Joe Mauer entered the game with 98 career hits
at Comerica Park, the most by an active opponent.
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