Julien homers off college teammate Mize, Twins beat Tigers 5-1 to end 3-game slide

1 of 7 |

Minnesota Twins’ Edouard Julien celebrates his solo home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers Sunday, April 13, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

2 of 7 |

Minnesota Twins’ Byron Buxton, left, celebrates his solo home run with third base coach Tommy Watkins during the first inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers Sunday, April 13, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

3 of 7 |

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson delivers against the Detroit Tigers during the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, April 13, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

4 of 7 |

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Casey Mize delivers against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, April 13, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

5 of 7 |

Former Minnesota Twins player Joe Mauer throws a ceremonial first pitch prior to a baseball game between the Minnesota Twins and the Detroit Tigers Sunday, April 13, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

6 of 7 |

Detroit Tigers shortstop Trey Sweeney fields a groundout hit by Minnesota Twins’ Ryan Jeffers during the second inning of a baseball game Sunday, April 13, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

7 of 7 |

Minnesota Twins second baseman Edouard Julien (47) fields a groundout hit by Detroit Tigers’ Trey Sweeney during the fifth inning of a baseball game Sunday, April 13, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

By MIKE COOK

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Edouard Julien homered off former Auburn teammate Casey Mize, Byron Buxton also went deep and the Minnesota Twins beat the Detroit Tigers 5-1 Sunday to stop a three-game losing streak.

Buxton and Ty France had two hits apiece for Minnesota, which won for just the second time in eight games.

Simeon Woods Richardson (1-1) allowed one run and five hits with five strikeouts, and Louis Varland, Cole Sands, Griffin Jax and Jhoan Duran each followed with a hitless inning, combining for seven strikeouts and one walk.

Spencer Torkelson homered for the second straight game and Kerry Carpenter had two hits for Detroit, which had won seven of eight.

Mize (2-1) gave up four runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Minnesota led 2-1 in the sixth when Julien hit an opposite-field home run off the left field foul pole for his first home run this season. Buxton doubled and, three batters later, France hit an RBI single on a chopper up the middle.

Buxton’s homer in the first and Brooks Lee’s run-scoring single in the second built a 2-0 lead. Lee was playing his first game this season after recovering from a back strain.

Infielder José Miranda, hitting .167 with 13 strikeouts, was optioned to Triple-A St. Paul, one day after he failed to run hard from first to second on a potential forceout, costing an out when second baseman Colt Keith failed to touch the base.

Key moment

Riley Greene hit an inning-ending flyout with two on in the fifth. He ended the third by striking out with runners at the corners and is 1 for 24 in his past seven games.

Key stat

Willi Castro has reached base in all 15 games, the longest streaking opening the season for Minnesota since Brian Dozier’s 17 games streak in 2018.

Up next

Tigers: LHP Tarik Skubal (1-2, 3.78) starts Monday at Milwaukee, which sends LHP Tyler Alexander (1-0, 2.84) to the mound

Twins: RHP Joe Ryan (1-1, 2.65) starts Monday’s series opener against the New York Mets and RHP Clay Holmes (1-1, 4,30).

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb