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Mitch Garver’s blast gives Minnesota Twins single-season home run record

By Chris Schad

DETROIT, MI - AUGUST 31: Mitch Garver #18 of the Minnesota Twins celebrates with third base coach Tony Diaz #46 of the Minnesota Twins after hitting a solo home run against the Detroit Tigers during the ninth inning at Comerica Park on August 31, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. The Tigers defeated the Twins 10-7. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI - AUGUST 31: Mitch Garver #18 of the Minnesota Twins celebrates with third base coach Tony Diaz #46 of the Minnesota Twins after hitting a solo home run against the Detroit Tigers during the ninth inning at Comerica Park on August 31, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. The Tigers defeated the Twins 10-7. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) /
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On the final game of August, the Minnesota Twins set a new single-season home run record with their 268th bomb of the season on Saturday night.

The Minnesota Twins made history on Saturday night as Mitch Garver hit a pair of home runs to set the single-season home run record. With his ninth-inning home run Detroit TIgers closer Joe Jimenez, Garver gave the Twins a single-season record with their 268th home run of the season, surpassing the New York Yankees total of 267 that was set just last season.

While the Twins were able to make history, the rest of Saturday’s festivities turned quite sour thanks to a poor start from Martin Perez. With Perez digging a large hole that the Twins couldn’t get out of, Minnesota fell to Detroit by a score of 10-7.

The game got off to a great start for the Twins thanks to the bat of Garver, who also hit a leadoff home run on the game’s third pitch to put the Twins up early. That lead would be coughed up by Perez, who limited the damage in the first inning to a Ronny Rodriguez sacrifice fly.

After the Twins regained the lead on Max Kepler‘s 36th home run of the season in the second inning, Perez shut down the Tigers before allowing an eight-run third inning. The outburst would end the left-hander’s night early and leave him with a dreadful line of eight runs (seven earned) off nine hits, two walks and a four strikeouts in just 2 2/3 innings.

The Twins would try to use their muscle to get back into the game as Jorge Polanco would hit his 20th home run of the season in the fifth inning, which would set another MLB record with the eighth Twin to hit 20 or more home runs this season.

After C.J. Cron made it an 8-5 game in the sixth inning with his 24th home run of the year, Ronny Rodriguez would answer with a two-run bomb in the bottom of the sixth to put the Tigers ahead 10-5.

Minnesota would tie the team home run record in the eighth inning with Nelson Cruz‘s 34th blast of the season in the eighth inning before Garver’s record-breaking home run in the ninth for his 26th bomb of the year.

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Despite six home runs on the evening, the Twins couldn’t pull this game out, but didn’t lose any ground in the American League Central thanks to Cleveland’s loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. The Twins will try to get back on the right track on Sunday afternoon when Michael Pineda (10-5, 4.16 ERA) goes to the mound against Spencer Turnbull (3-13, 4.18 ERA) for a 12:10 p.m. CT first pitch.

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