MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota Twins fans were not very happy with Spencer Torkelson this weekend when he broke Joe Mauer’s number retirement plaque with a foul ball and then blasted a go-ahead homer.
The Detroit Tigers had a fun weekend in Minneapolis, winning three of four games against the first-place Twins. One of the funnier moments came in the top of the third inning Sunday, when the game was tied 1-1.
Torkelson got a 2-2 cutter right down the pipe from Twins starter Louie Varland and turned on it, yanking it several feet wide of the left field foul pole. The ball smashed into the bottom of the No. 7 plaque honoring former Twins catcher Joe Mauer, whose number is retired by the organization.
The impact knocked a large chunk out of the plaque’s outer border, and Twins fans were not happy about it.
Spencer Torkelson's foul ball took a chunk off of Joe Mauer's retired number displayed on Twins Wall of Fame, prompting boos from the crowd at Target Field. pic.twitter.com/hP5UJiSBTk
— Jason Beck (@beckjason) June 18, 2023
They were even less happy a few innings later, when Torkelson crushed a two-run homer to give the Tigers a lead they would never relinquish.
Mauer was a menace against Detroit throughout his career, batting .305 with 246 hits, 44 doubles, and 18 homers in 216 games. He also had two hits and two walks in the infamous Game 163 that eliminated the Tigers in 2009, so can anyone really blame Tork for getting a little payback?
Anyway, the Tigers won the game 6-4 and pulled within five games of the AL Central lead.
