Twins 12, Tigers 4 (1st): Rookie Kennys Vargas logged his third consecutive multi-hit contest and knocked in a career-high five runs as host Minnesota cruised past struggling Detroit in the first game of a doubleheader.

Eduardo Escobar had three hits, Joe Mauer and Jordan Schafer each drove in three and Brian Dozier scored three times for the Twins, who have posted a major-league high 125 runs in 21 August contests after managing 99 in 26 games during July. Yohan Pino (2-5) notched his second career victory and halted a five-game winless streak, yielding four runs (one earned) and six hits over five innings.

Buck Farmer (0-1) was pummeled in his second career start, giving up seven runs while recording only four outs. Ezequiel Carrera and Nick Castellanos each finished with two hits and an RBI for the Tigers, who have been outscored 38-18 in the series but remained three games behind Kansas City in the American League Central and one back of Seattle for the second wild-card spot in the AL after winning the second game 8-6.

Mauer singled Dozier home from first on a hit-and-run play in the opening frame and, after a run-scoring double from Castellanos in the top of the second inning, each of the Twins’ first four hitters reached base in the bottom half as Schafer capped the surge with a bases-clearing triple to right-center. Moments later, Dozier drew a walk and Mauer plated two with a double down the left-field line to end Farmer’s outing.

Patrick McCoy came on in relief and fared no better, surrendering Vargas’ RBI double to cap Minnesota’s six-run second before allowing Dozier’s run-scoring double in the third. The Tigers closed to within 9-4 in the fifth on three straight RBI singles, but Vargas got all those runs back in the seventh with a three-run double.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Escobar, who went 5-for-6 with a home run in the Twins’ 20-6 victory on Friday, is 16-for-32 against Detroit this season. … The 32 combined runs scored by Minnesota in this series are the most the Tigers have surrendered in consecutive games since 1953. … Vargas is 7-for 13 with six extra-base hits – including five doubles - with five runs scored and six RBIs over the last three contests.