Matt Manning took a really nice step in this one, but the offense struggled to come up with key hits and a bad sixth inning sank their chances as the Twins won 4-2.
The loss leaves a bad taste in your mouth, but this game was a win in regard to things that matter long-term, namely starting pitcher Matt Manning. After working on a slider for almost two years with the Tigers player development and previous coaching staff, just a few weeks with Chris Fetter has paid huge dividends. Manning showed off a much improved slider-changeup mix tonight, though plenty of work remains to command his full repertoire under major league conditions.