Twins top Mariners 6-3 behind early boost on back-to-back HRs by Correa, Larnach

09/05/2024

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Chris Paddack points to the crowd while walking back to the dugout during a pitching change in the the sixth inning of the team’s baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Carlos Correa and Trevor Larnach hit consecutive home runs for Minnesota in the first inning off Seattle starter George Kirby, and the Twins hung on to beat the Mariners 6-3 and help Chris Paddack win his fourth straight start on Wednesday night.

Willi Castro went deep in the second and hit an RBI triple in the fourth that put the Twins in front by three, giving Paddack (4-1) enough fuel to extend his career-long winning streak.

The right-hander, who missed most of the previous two seasons recovering from elbow reconstruction, matched his Twins best with 10 strikeouts while pitching into the sixth. He allowed a solo homer to Mitch Garver, the only run against him.

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Chris Paddack delivers during the second inning of the team’s baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

“That’s just a freaking good outing, all the way around,” manager Rocco Baldelli said.

The Twins let Paddack throw a season-high 99 pitches, the second-most of his career, before Caleb Thielbar entered for the last two outs in the sixth. Paddack made a point to shake Baldelli’s hand and thank him for the trust.

Minnesota Twins’ Willi Castro (50) points while running the bases on a solo home run against the Seattle Mariners during the second inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

“There’s going to be very few opportunities that I get this year to be able to ask Rocco for more,” Paddack said, “and tonight was one of those.”

Castro, who has taken over as the regular center fielder with Byron Buxton out, took hold of the club’s lucky summer sausage in the dugout after going deep. After putting the heavily wrapped meat on the shelf for the next homer, repeatedly smelled his batting gloves to make sure there was no rot.

“I know that’s going to open one day,” Castro said. “It’s almost there. That day is almost there.”

Cal Raleigh, whose pinch hit grand slam sparked the rally for a 10-6 victory on Tuesday, drove a two-out, two-run double off the wall in right-center off Griffin Jax to pull the Mariners within one in the seventh.

Minnesota Twins’ Trevor Larnach runs the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Seattle Mariners during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota’s bullpen remains in flux with key setup men Brock Stewart and Justin Topa on the injured list. But Jax pitched a perfect eighth to bridge the gap to Jhoan Duran who got his third save with a perfect ninth inning after Ryan Jeffers and Max Kepler hit RBI doubles in the eighth to pad the lead.

Seattle Mariners starting pitcher George Kirby stands on the mound after a solo home run by Minnesota Twins’ Trevor Larnach during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

The Mariners went 1 for 7 with three strikeouts with runners in scoring position.

“It’s just really hard to get rallies going and sustain any momentum when we’re not putting the ball in play,” manager Scott Servais said.

Kirby (3-3), who had allowed only two home runs to date this season, surrendered three-plus homers for just the third time in 64 career starts.

Mariners Twins Baseball

“He really throws the fastball,” Castro said. “We were really aggressive with him.”

Kirby gave up four runs in five innings, failing to add to Seattle’s total of 22 quality starts that’s tied for the major league lead with Philadelphia.

“There’s nothing physically wrong with George. I know everybody’s got all these ideas, whatever,” Servais said. “It’s not coming out right now.”

Minnesota Twins’ Carlos Correa gestures while crossing home plate after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Kirby Snead, who was promoted from Triple-A Tacoma before the game, pitched a perfect sixth in becoming the 1,000th player to appear in a game in Mariners history.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mariners: RHP Tayler Saucedo, who hyperextended his right knee while covering first base on Tuesday, was placed on the 15-day injured list before the game.

Twins: Topa, who was acquired from the Mariners in the trade for 2B Jorge Polanco to take a key late-inning role in the bullpen, aggravated the patellar tendinitis in his left knee in a rehab outing on Sunday.

UP NEXT

RHP Logan Gilbert (3-0, 1.69 ERA) starts for the Mariners in the finale of the four-game series on Thursday afternoon. RHP Pablo López (3-2, 4.30 ERA) takes the mound for the Twins.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

OTHER NEWS