Twins stretch HR streak to 20 games as Margot, Correa go deep in 5-3 win over Tigers

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Manny Margot and Carlos Correa went deep to keep Minnesota's club-record home run streak going at 20 games, and the Twins beat the Detroit Tigers 5-3 on Tuesday night.

Byron Buxton scored the go-ahead run in the seventh with a head-first dive into home plate after leading off the inning with a double, and Royce Lewis hit a two-run double off Tigers ace Tarik Skubal before departing with tightness in his left groin muscle.

After rookie Simeon Woods Richardson pitched two outs into the sixth to match Skubal, who has quietly become one of the most dominant pitchers in the majors, the Twins got shutdown relief from Jorge Alcala (2-3), Griffin Jax in the eighth and closer Jhoan Duran in a perfect ninth for his 13th save in 14 attempts.

Justyn-Henry Malloy homered and Ryan Kreidler hit a two-run shot off Woods Richardson for the Tigers (38-47), who lost for the 17th time in their last 24 games.

Skubal gave up consecutive singles with one out in the third inning and was dragged through an 11-pitch at-bat by Correa, who hit six foul balls before taking a called third strike.

Then Lewis smacked a changeup from the star left-hander — the same pitch in the same spot he took a called third strike on in his first at-bat — down the left-field line to put the Twins on the board.

Buxton, who also walked twice, made a diving catch of Riley Greene's sinking line drive to center field in the first inning. He has been heating up this summer after a slow start coming off yet another injury-marred season in 2023.

Buxton took third on a wild pitch by Will Vest (1-2) in the seventh and, on a high chopper by Ryan Jeffers that cleared the mound and was fielded by second baseman Colt Keith, raced home with the infield in to beat the throw and put the Twins back in front.

ROTATION SHUFFLE

The Tigers were planning to place RHP Casey Mize on the 15-day injured list after he left his previous start on Sunday early with hamstring trouble and bring back RHP Keider Montero, one of their top prospects, for at least a couple of turns in their rotation.

They also scratched RHP Jack Flaherty from his scheduled start on Wednesday after he received a second injection to alleviate tightness in his lower back. He's expected to start early next week.

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Montero (0-2, 9.35 ERA) was expected to take the mound for the Tigers in the middle game of the series in place of Flaherty. Rookie David Festa (1-0, 9.00 ERA) will make his second major league start for the Twins on Wednesday night.

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Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson (78) delivers during the second inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Tuesday, July 2, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Detroit Tigers' Akil Baddoo strikes out during the second inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Tuesday, July 2, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) delivers during the second inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Tuesday, July 2, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Twins' Royce Lewis hits a two-run double during the third inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Tuesday, July 2, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Twins' Manuel Margot dives to score off a two-run double during the third inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Tuesday, July 2, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Wall Street was mixed in slow post-holiday trading ahead of the June jobs report, which could influence the Federal Reserve's next interest rate decision.

Futures for the S&P 500 inched up less than 0.1% before the bell Friday and futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell less than 0.1% after the Fourth of July holiday.

The U.S. government will give its comprehensive update about how many workers employers added to their payrolls during June. Traders are watching such numbers closely in hopes that they will show the economy is slowing enough to prove that inflation is under control, but not so much that it will tip into recession.

That would raise the likelihood of the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates that it has been keeping at two-decade highs, which would alleviate pressure on the economy by making borrowing less costly.

Economists believe that employers added 190,000 jobs — a solid gain, though down from a robust 272,000 in May. Job openings have also steadily declined this year. While layoffs remain relatively low, they have risen the past month or so and the number of Americans collecting jobless benefits is at its highest level since late 2021.

The report “will play a crucial role in shaping expectations for near-term Federal Reserve rate cuts," said Anderson Alves of Activ Trades. "Markets currently anticipate a reasonable chance of two rate cuts this year, contrasting with the Fed’s median forecast of just one reduction in 2024."

Tesla picked up another 1.7% early Friday and was on track for its eighth straight winning day after reporting earlier this week that sales fell again last quarter, but not as sharply as many had believed. Its shares are up nearly 36% since June 24.

Elsewhere, shares were broadly higher in Europe after Britain’s Labour Party prevailed over the Conservatives in this week’s national election.

In London, the FTSE 100 initially climbed 0.3% before falling back to no gain. The British pound rose to $1.2786 from $1.2760 late Thursday. The euro rose to $1.0821 from $1.0812.

Britain experienced a run of turbulent years during Conservative rule that left many voters pessimistic about their country’s future. The U.K.’s exit from the European Union followed by the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine battered the economy. Rising poverty and cuts to state services have led to gripes about “Broken Britain.”

Labour leader Keir Starmer faces the daunting task of reinvigorating a stagnant economy and dispirited nation.

Germany's DAX jumped 0.8% after the government agreed on a budget for 2025 and a stimulus package for Europe’s largest economy, ending a monthslong squabble that threatened to upend Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s center-left coalition.

The disagreements had fueled speculation that the already unpopular government could collapse and prompt a snap parliamentary election in which Germany could follow other European countries by swinging toward the political right.

The CAC 40 in Paris rose 0.3%.

In Asian trading, Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 topped 41,000 early Friday but then fell back from Thursday’s record close of 40,913.65. It shed just over 1 point to end at 40,912.37 after the government reported that consumer spending fell 1.8%, more than forecast, in May.

The dollar slipped to 160.66 Japanese yen from 161.26 yen.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng lost 1.3% to 17,799.61 and the Shanghai Composite index gave up 0.3% to 2,949.93. The Shanghai benchmark has been trading near its lowest levels since February.

The Kospi in Seoul jumped 1.3% to 2,862.23 after Samsung Electronics forecast that its operating profit in the second quarter will balloon more than 15 times from a year earlier to 10.4 trillion won ($7.52 billion).

Like Nvidia, Taiwan's TSMC, Tokyo Electron and other computer chip makers, Samsung is benefiting from a rebound in the semiconductor industry as applications using artificial intelligence take off.

Elsewhere in the region, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.1% to 7,822.30. Taiwan's Taiex edged 0.1% higher and the SET in Bangkok was up 0.8%.

U.S. benchmark crude oil gained a penny to $83.87 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Brent crude, the international standard, declined 13 cents to $87.30 per barrel.

Bitcoin tumbled again, falling another 3.8%. The cryptocurrency has already lost more than 13% of its value in the first five days of July and is at its lowest point in months.

FILE - The New York Stock Exchange is seen on Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in New York. Shares advanced Friday, July 5, 2024, in Europe after Britain's Labour Party prevailed over the Conservatives in this week's national election. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan, File)

The New York Stock Exchange is seen on Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in New York. Wall Street is leaning toward minuscule gains before the bell ahead of the Fourth of July holiday. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan)

A passerby walks past an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei 225 index, right, at a securities firm Thursday, July 4, 2024 in Tokyo. Japan’s Nikkei 225 benchmark closed Thursday at a fresh record high of 40,913.65, pushing past its most recent record close set in March. (Kyodo News via AP)

FILE - A person walks past at an electronic stock board showing Japan's stock prices at a securities firm in Tokyo, June 27, 2024. Asian shares were mostly lower on Friday, July 5, after solid gains in Europe overnight, while U.S. markets were closed for the July 4th holiday. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama, File)

FILE - A person walks past at an electronic stock board showing financial indexes including Japan's Nikkei 225 index, green, at a securities firm in Tokyo, June 27, 2024. Asian shares were mostly lower on Friday, July 5, after solid gains in Europe overnight, while U.S. markets were closed for the July 4th holiday. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama, File)