Detroit Tigers score: Chris Paddack, facing the team he was just traded from, gave up three home runs in the loss to the Minnesota Twins.
MINNEAPOLIS — For the second time in 12 days, Detroit Tigers right-hander Chris Paddack faced the team that traded him July 28, just three days before the trade deadline.
Once again, the Minnesota Twins took advantage of him.
The Tigers lost, 8-1, to the Twins on Sunday, Aug. 17, in the finale of the four-game series at Target Field, with Paddack surrendering eight runs. The Twins hit three home runs between the second and third innings, including a grand slam.
The Tigers (73-53) posted a 5-2 record on their seven-game road trip, with series wins against both the Twins and Chicago White Sox to secure three series in a row.
Paddack, 29, allowed eight runs on nine hits and three walks with four strikeouts across 5⅔ innings, throwing 60.4% of his 91 pitches for strikes. He struggled, but he did his part to protect the depleted Tigers bullpen by returning for the fifth and sixth innings without further damage.
The Twins scored 12 runs over 9⅔ innings in two games against Paddack, with five home runs.
Before joining the Tigers, Paddack pitched for the San Diego Padres (2019-21) and Twins (2022-25). He had a 4.88 ERA in his 45-game career with the Twins, and he already has a 5.91 ERA in his four-game career with the Tigers.
The Twins struck first for a 1-0 lead in the second inning, when Royce Lewis lined Paddack's middle-middle sinker with an elite 110.4 mph exit velocity for a solo home run.
In the third, the Twins scored six runs on Byron Buxton's solo home run off Paddack's middle-middle changeup to make it 2-1, Kody Clemens groundout to make it 3-1 and Brooks Lee's grand slam off Paddack's up-and-in fastball to make it 7-1.
The Lee homer had a 98.4 mph exit velocity.
Entering Friday's game, the average exit velocity in MLB for a home run was 104.5 mph. Of the 4,230 homers, only 445 of them were hit with an exit velocity at or below 99 mph.
The Twins took an 8-1 lead in the fourth inning.
Luke Keaschall hit a grounder to third baseman Colt Keith that should've been a double play, but second baseman Zach McKinstry threw the ball wide of first baseman Spencer Torkelson. As the ball trickled away, Buxton dashed home easily for the Twins' eighth and final run.
The Twins averaged an 87.5 mph exit velocity on 21 balls in play, which was the weakest contact against Paddack in his four starts since joining the Tigers, following 96.4 mph against the Arizona Diamondbacks (July 30), 94 mph against the Twins (Aug. 5) and 95.5 mph against the Chicago White Sox (Aug. 11).
For reference, the MLB average for exit velocity is 89.4 mph.
In 2025, Paddack owns a 5.10 ERA in 25 starts.
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One run on three hits
The Tigers scored one run on three hits.
The lone run was scored in the third inning, when Colt Keith hit a double and scored on Kerry Carpenter's single. At the time, the RBI single from Carpenter tied the game, 1-1.
Right-hander Thomas Hatch, who started for the Twins, tossed five innings of one-run ball on three hits and three walks with four strikeouts, using 81 pitches.
On offense, Tigers have produced double-digit strikeouts in 24 of their last 51 games, following double-digit strikeouts in 27 of their first 75 games.
Bailey Horn throws 38 pitches
Left-handed reliever Bailey Horn — whom the Tigers called up from Triple-A Toledo for the Twins series — replaced Paddack with two outs in the sixth inning.
Horn completed the game.
The 27-year-old threw 2⅓ scoreless innings without a hit, but he walked three batters compared to two strikeouts. He threw 38 pitches, which is the most he's thrown in his past 29 games between Triple-A and MLB in the 2025 season.
Due to the workload, Horn likely won't be available for the first two of three games against the Houston Astros, with the series beginning Monday, Aug. 18, at Comerica Park.
It will be interesting to see if the Tigers swap Horn for a new reliever, such as right-hander Chase Lee.
Contact Evan Petzold at [email protected] or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers score: Chris Paddack rocked in 8-1 loss to Twins
Category: Baseball
