DETROIT — When Detroit outfielder JaCoby Jones came to the plate in the seventh inning of a tie game Thursday afternoon, he was well aware he was struggling at the plate after striking out in his first two at-bats against the Twins.

He chose to focus on something else — the walk-off home run he hit against the Kansas City Royals nearly two months ago — and came through again.

Jones hit Lance Lynn’s 3-1 fastball over the wall for the final two runs in Detroit’s 3-1 win.

“I knew I had some success in big late-game situations earlier this year, so I tried to take something from that,” said Jones, who was hitting .135 in his last 10 games. “I was just looking for a fastball I could drive.

“I’ve really been pressing, so I tried to be more relaxed — the way I was earlier in the year when I hit that homer against the Royals,” he said. “That’s the type of thing that can get you right out of a slump.”

Detroit won the last two games of the series to improve to 23-17 at Comerica Park. The Tigers, who play their next eight games on the road, are 10-20 away from home.

“This is our place, and we have done a great job of playing here,” Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said. “Now we’ve got to take this momentum onto the road.”

Michael Fulmer (3-5) improved to 5-0 in five career starts against the Twins. He pitched seven innings, allowing one run on five hits and a walk with four strikeouts in ending a three-start winless streak.

“It’s about time,” said Fulmer, who won for the first time this year at home. “Everything felt great out there. Even when they got a run in the first, it was off good pitches that were where I wanted them.”

Joe Jimenez pitched the eighth and Shane Greene threw the ninth for his 17th save.

Lynn (4-5) took a shutout into the seventh but ended up allowing three runs on five hits and a walk. He struck out nine in 6 2/3 innings.

“I wanted to pitch the seventh,” Lynn said. “When all is said and done, it is a loss. I need to be better next time.”

The Twins took a first-inning lead for the second day in a row. With one out, Eddie Rosario doubled and scored on Eduardo Escobar’s base hit.

After that, the game belonged to Fulmer and Lynn. After six innings, the Twins still led 1-0 with four hits to Detroit’s three.