Upton goes deep as Zimm moves to 5-0

MINNEAPOLIS — Jordan Zimmermann continued his dominant start to the season with another sterling performance, and he was backed by a three-run homer from Justin Upton to lift the Tigers to a 4-1 win over the Twins on Saturday afternoon at Target Field.

Zimmermann went seven strong innings, allowing one run on six hits with seven strikeouts. The right-hander improved to 5-0 with a 0.55 ERA this season. He’s the third pitcher in the Majors to reach five victories. The lone run he gave up came on a solo blast by Byung Ho Park in the fourth.

“I’m pitching probably the best I’ve ever pitched in my career,” Zimmermann said. “I’m able to get out of some jams, like I said all along. I was in one and I got the double-play ball in the seventh there, which really helped out. These guys gave me three runs early, and I was able to settle in and throw strikes and just be myself and not have to worry about a tight ballgame.”

Zimmermann outpitched Twins right-hander Tyler Duffey, who served up the three-run dinger to Upton in the first before settling down. The homer came after an error by third baseman Eduardo Nunez, making the three runs unearned. Duffey, in his second start of the season, ended up going 6 1/3 innings, surrendering four runs (one earned) on five hits with seven strikeouts.

“It’s my own fault there,” Duffey said of Upton’s homer. “I threw the wrong pitch, actually. I’m almost glad he hit it because otherwise it might’ve put [John Ryan] Murphy in jeopardy. He called curveball, and I threw fastball. So it’s one of those things you learn from quickly. It was a mistake, and it ended up costing us the game.”

MOMENTS THAT MATTEREDHeading on Up-ton: For the second game in a row, the Tigers headed to the bottom of the first inning with a 3-0 lead. With J.D. Martinez and Victor Martinez on base, Upton hit his second homer of the season deep to the second deck in left field. In his first year with Detroit, Upton is …

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