DETROIT (AP) - The Twins started out Saturday's game in Detroit with a bang, but their offense took the rest of the game off as the Tigers surged to a 9-3 win at Comerica Park.
Jorge Polanco doubled home Max Kepler in the top of the first for a quick 1-0 lead that only lasted until the second inning, when JaCoby Jones drilled a three-run homer off Kyle Gibson.
Jones is hitting .420 with four homers and 13 RBIs in his last 14 games, raising his batting average from .173 to .250.
Detroit never trailed again, routing Gibson for five runs in five innings and getting effective pitching from opener Buck Farmer and four relievers.
The Tigers had lost three straight and 13 of 14 at home, including a winless nine-game homestand May 13-23.
Christin Stewart also homered for the Tigers.
Nick Ramirez (2-0), Detroit's second pitcher in a bullpen game, gave up one run and three hits with three walks in three innings.
Minnesota dropped to 5-4 on a 10-game road trip that ends Sunday.
"It was kind of an off afternoon for us," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. "We really didn't get much going on either side of the ball."
Gibson (6-3) gave up five runs and eight hits with two walks in five innings.
"I felt like it was an OK day, but my mistakes really hurt us," he said.
Minnesota pulled to 3-2 against Ramirez in the third. Kepler walked again to start the inning, took second on Nelson Cruz's single and scored on C.J. Cron's base hit.
Stewart led off the bottom of the third with his fifth homer, and Harold Castro gave the Tigers a three-run lead with an RBI single in the fifth.
Cruz hit his 10th homer on Blaine Hardy's first pitch of the eighth inning. He has 19 regular-season homers against the Tigers to go along with the eight he has hit in nine postseason games against Detroit.
Jones hit a two-run homer to make it 7-3 in the bottom of the eighth and the Tigers added two more runs in the inning.
A MAJOR-LEAGUE DEBUT
RHP Ryan Eades, called up from Triple-A Rochester before the game, made his debut by replacing Gibson for the sixth inning. He became the first player in major league history to wear No. 80 in a regular-season game.
Eades allowed two hits and two walks in two scoreless innings.
"It was great to see him out there, but more importantly, he threw the ball very well," Baldelli said. "Your job is to go out there and get outs and he did that."
THREE HOLDOVERS FROM GARDY
Along with reliever Trevor May, Gibson and Polanco are the only players on the Twins roster who played for Gardenhire in 2014, his last season as Minnesota's manager.
Gardenhire was pleased by his team's performance against Gibson, who became a rotation regular that season.
"I've known him a long time, and the only way to have any success against him is to make him work," he said. "We did that by staying in the zone instead of chasing as many pitches as we have lately."
UP NEXT
The teams finish their three-game series on Sunday with Minnesota's Jake Odorizzi (8-2, 1.96) facing Detroit's Ryan Carpenter (1-2, 6.23). Odorizzi comes into the game on a 16 1/3-inning scoreless streak.