Taj Bradley Outduels Tarik Skubal as Twins Beat Tigers

Taj Bradley led the Minnesota Twins to a 4-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers on April 7, 2026, at Target Field.

Bradley earned the win, improving his record to 2-0, by outdueling two-time reigning AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal.

The right-hander pitched 6 1/3 innings, allowing one run on six hits with no walks and 10 strikeouts.

The lone earned run on Bradley’s stat line occurred in the seventh inning when reliever Taylor Rogers allowed an inherited runner to score.

Dominant Pitching Performance

Bradley utilized a four-pitch mix to stifle the Detroit lineup, recording 10 strikeouts to reach that mark for the seventh time in his career.

His splitter proved particularly lethal, generating nine whiffs on 15 swings by Tigers hitters.

Bradley also mixed in a curveball and a cutter, contributing to a performance where Tigers hitters made contact on fewer than half of their swings against his offspeed pitches.

His high-octane fastball averaged between 96 and 97 miles per hour, having touched 100 miles per hour earlier in the 2026 season.

Following the outing, Bradley stated, I just think I want to be able to throw strikes with all my pitches.

Twins manager Derek Shelton noted that confidence continues to grow for Bradley, praising his ability to execute pitches while going toe-to-toe with Skubal.

Contrast in Outcomes

While Bradley excelled, Tarik Skubal had a rare short outing, pitching only 4 2/3 innings.

Skubal surrendered four runs on eight hits with two walks and seven strikeouts, taking the loss and moving his record to 1-1.

The Twins broke through against Skubal in the fifth inning after Byron Buxton and Austin Martin drew consecutive walks.

Luke Keaschall drove in Buxton with a single, followed by a two-run double from Ryan Jeffers into the right field corner.

Josh Bell then hit a double down the left field line to score Jeffers, capping the four-run rally.

Detroit attempted a comeback in the seventh and ninth innings, with Kevin McGonigle recording two hits and two RBI.

Justin Topa recorded the final two outs of the game to secure his first save.

Season Context and Outlook

The victory moved the Minnesota Twins to a 5-6 record for the season, giving them a chance to clinch their first series victory of the year on April 8, 2026.

Bradley has been a bright spot for Minnesota since being acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays for Griffin Jax at the previous trade deadline.

In three starts in 2026, the 25-year-old has a 1.08 ERA over 16 2/3 innings pitched.

He has struck out 22 batters and walked four, three of which occurred during his season debut in Baltimore.

The Twins have been 3-0 in games started by Bradley this season.

Bradley is scheduled to make his next start on April 12, 2026, in Toronto.