A compelling pitching duel between Detroit's Tarik Skubal and Minnesota's Taj Bradley took center stage Tuesday, but a decisive fifth inning swung the game firmly in the Twins' favor, resulting in a 4-2 Tigers loss.

The game was a tight contest until the bottom of the fifth, when the Minnesota lineup finally broke through against Skubal. The Twins scored four runs, chasing the Tigers' ace with two outs. This marked Skubal's shortest non-injury start since August 2025, a rare early exit for one of the American League's premier arms.

On the other side, Taj Bradley was brilliant for Minnesota. The young right-hander, acquired from Tampa Bay at last season's trade deadline, dominated over 6.1 innings, allowing just one run while racking up 10 strikeouts. His early-season form has been spectacular, boasting a minuscule 0.54 ERA through three starts.

For the Tigers, the loss drops their record to 4-7, with all seven defeats coming in their last nine games. The team will look to left-hander Framber Valdez to stop the skid in the series' third game Wednesday night. Despite the chilly conditions in Minneapolis—which players noted were some of the coldest they've experienced—the Twins' bats heated up at the right time to secure the victory.