In Miami, the Minnesota Twins managed to halt the Miami Marlins’ winning momentum with a 2-1 victory on Wednesday night, thanks to impactful contributions from Brooks Lee and Carlos Correa. Simeon Woods Richardson delivered a compelling performance on the mound to support the Twins and bring an end to the Marlins’ successful eight-game streak.
The game kicked off with Byron Buxton hitting a single off Janson Junk, advancing on a wild pitch, and setting the stage for Willi Castro’s single. Buxton was then brought home by Lee’s sacrifice fly, which broke the Twins’ 18-inning scoreless drought.
Miami’s Kyle Stowers countered with his second consecutive home run in two games, a solo hit off Woods Richardson during the second inning, leveling the score. It marked his fifth home run in nine games and his 15th overall this season.
The Twins regained the lead in the fourth inning, as Castro hit a double and was followed by singles from Lee and Correa, moving the score to 2-1. Castro had an impressive game, achieving three hits out of four at-bats.
Brock Stewart took over from Woods Richardson, who had a solid showing by conceding only one run and two hits across five innings. Stewart faced a tricky situation when Jesús Sánchez hit a leadoff double. Although Stowers later singled with two outs, aiming to bring in Sánchez, the ball was ruled to have glanced off base umpire Emil Jimenez, leading to Sánchez being placed back on third. Stewart successfully struck out Eric Wagaman to maintain the lead at 2-1.
The Twins’ bullpen was instrumental in maintaining the score, as four relievers combined to pitch three scoreless innings. Jhoan Duran successfully closed the game in the ninth inning, securing his 13th save out of 15 chances.
Janson Junk, starting his third consecutive game for Miami after multiple relief appearances, allowed two runs and six hits over six innings and struck out seven. The Marlins had clinched the series opener 2-0, with Edward Cabrera making a standout performance by becoming the first Marlins starter to pitch seven innings in the game.
A pivotal moment unfolded in the seventh inning when Danny Coulombe managed to get Otto Lopez out with a fly ball to left field, making a crucial defensive play with the bases loaded to maintain the Twins’ lead. Harrison Bader contributed by throwing out the tying run at the plate.
Kyle Stowers experienced a home run drought since hitting two against the Cubs on May 14, extending over 31 games, before reigniting his form during a win over the Braves.
Looking ahead, the Twins are set to start RHP David Festa, boasting a 2-2 record and a 5.40 ERA, in the rubber match against the Marlins’ RHP Eury Pérez, who has yet to secure a win with a 0-2 record and a 6.19 ERA.