Miguel Sano hit a game-tying homer in the seventh and the Minnesota Twins added two unearned runs in the inning to rally for a 5-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Thursday in Minneapolis.

Ryan Jeffers also homered and Max Kepler added two hits for Minnesota in the opener of a four-game series. The Twins improved to 10-3 in their past 13 games against the Tigers.

J.A. Happ (5-4) picked up the victory, pitching seven innings in a game for the first time since April. Happ allowed three runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out eight. Taylor Rogers pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his eighth save.

Eric Haase homered and had two hits, Jonathan Schoop had two hits and scored twice and Miguel Cabrera also had two hits for Detroit.

Tarik Skubal (5-8) took the loss despite starting the game by retiring the first 13 batters he faced. Skubal gave up five runs (three earned) on six hits in six-plus innings. He walked one and struck out five.

Detroit held a 3-2 lead going into the bottom of the seventh when Sano led off with his 15th home run of the season, a 411-foot drive into the bleachers in right-center.

Kepler followed with a single. He advanced to second on Gilberto Celestino's grounder when it was ruled second baseman Willi Castro pulled his foot off the bag while throwing to first to try to complete a potential double play. Detroit challenged the call, which was upheld.

Andrelton Simmons then sacrificed the runners to second and third off reliever Jose Cisnero. Kepler scored what proved to be the winning run on a wild pitch, and Jorge Polanco followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 5-3.

Detroit took a 2-0 lead in the fourth when Haase's 13th homer of the season struck the foul pole in left. Jeffers cut it to 2-1 in the fifth with his sixth home run of the season, a line drive to left-center that gave the Twins their first baserunner of the night.

The Tigers increased their lead to 3-1 in the sixth when Zack Short walked with the bases loaded, but the Twins answered with an RBI single by Trevor Larnach in the bottom half to drive in Polanco.

--Field Level Media