Twins pound Valdez as Tigers' losing skid reaches 4 games

Detroit's $115 million starter struggles early as Minnesota builds big lead

Apr. 9, 2026 at 3:03am

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A fragmented, geometric painting depicting a baseball game in progress, with the players and field broken down into sharp, overlapping shapes in a bold color palette, conveying the chaotic nature of the Tigers' recent losses.An abstract, cubist interpretation of the Tigers' struggle to find consistency early in the season.Minneapolis Today

The Detroit Tigers fell to the Minnesota Twins 8-6 on Wednesday, extending their losing streak to four games. Starter Framber Valdez had a rough first inning, allowing six runs, and the Tigers' offense struggled early against Twins pitcher Bailey Ober before mounting a late comeback attempt.

Why it matters

The Tigers' slow start to the season has raised concerns, as they've now had two four-game losing streaks in the first 12 games. However, manager AJ Hinch is preaching patience and consistency, noting that it's still early in the 162-game season.

The details

Valdez, the Tigers' $115 million starter, didn't have his best stuff, failing to get a feel for his curveball and seeing his sinker velocity down 1.5 mph. He faced 10 batters in the first inning, allowing four hits, a walk, a hit-by-pitch, and a run-scoring wild pitch as the Twins built a 6-0 lead. Valdez settled down after the first, mixing in more changeups, but still allowed two more runs. The Tigers' offense also struggled early against Ober, managing just one hit through the first five innings before breaking through in the sixth. They mounted a late comeback attempt, scoring four runs in the seventh, but couldn't complete the rally.

  • The Tigers hadn't endured two four-game losing streaks in the first 12 games of a season since 1998.
  • The Tigers have also lost seven straight road games, which is hard to do in the first 12 games of a season.

The players

Framber Valdez

The Tigers' $115 million starting pitcher who struggled early, allowing six runs in the first inning.

AJ Hinch

The Tigers' manager who is preaching patience and consistency despite the team's slow start.

Bailey Ober

The Twins' starting pitcher who limited the Tigers to one hit through the first five innings.

Colt Keith

The Tigers' player who led off the sixth inning with a double and scored on a single by Kerry Carpenter.

Dillon Dingler

The Tigers' player who chased Ober from the game with a two-out single in the sixth inning.

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What they’re saying

“It's a tricky time. You can also underreact, just chalk it up to, 'Well, it's just April.' It's a fine line in coaching to address the things that create wins.”

— AJ Hinch, Tigers manager

“Consistency is what wins in this sport, both in how you coach but also in what you stress. Players look for consistency in me and my staff and they're going to get feedback.”

— AJ Hinch, Tigers manager

What’s next

The Tigers will look to end their four-game losing streak and seven-game road skid when they face the Twins again on Thursday.

The takeaway

The Tigers' slow start to the season has raised concerns, but manager AJ Hinch is preaching patience and consistency, emphasizing that it's still early in the long 162-game schedule. The team's ability to mount late-game comebacks is encouraging, but they'll need to find more consistency to turn things around.