Jason Kubel Spoils Rick Porcello’s Party

Rick Porcello’s 6th inning was going just about as smoothly as his previous five: Porcello got Orlando Cabrera to fly out softly to center before striking out Joe Mauer on a high four-seam fastball, a nasty pitch. Mauer was Porcello’s ninth-straight retired batter and eighth strikeout; the 20-year-old phenom was working his one-hitter hard.

And then Jason Kubel destroyed the ball approximately 859 feet into Metrodome’s right-center field. Kubel’s monstrous home run cut the Tigers’ lead to one run. It’s 3-2, and we officially have a ball game.