Carlos Correa capped a seventh-inning rally with a go-ahead, two-run double as the Minnesota Twins defeated the San Diego Padres 5-3 on Thursday afternoon in the rubber match of a three-game series in Minneapolis.
After Max Kepler grounded into a forceout to bring home a run and tie things at 3-3, Correa pulled a ball down the third base line to give the Twins their first lead of the game.
San Diego loaded the bases with two outs in the eighth, but Brock Stewart struck out Trent Grisham to escape the jam. Jorge Lopez worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his third save.
Emilio Pagan (3-0) earned the win with a scoreless inning of relief.
Joey Gallo went 2-for-3 for Minnesota, which improved to 2-1 on its current six-game homestand. Correa finished 1-for-4.
Minnesota’s comeback spoiled a stellar outing from Padres starter Yu Darvish, who allowed two runs on four hits through six innings. He walked one and fanned seven.
Reliever Brent Honeywell (2-2), who lasted one-third of an inning and was charged with all three of the Twins’ runs in the seventh, took the loss.
Fernando Tatis Jr. and Rougned Odor each hit a solo home run for San Diego, which has dropped four of its last five. Tatis and Juan Soto each had two hits.
Tatis opened the scoring on the first pitch of the game by pulling a fastball over the left field wall.
The Twins knotted the score at 1-1 in the second when Gallo drew a bases-loaded walk, but Minnesota squandered a golden opportunity to take the lead by leaving the bases loaded.
Soto made the Twins pay two innings later, smacking a hard grounder that bounced off Minnesota starter Bailey Ober and rolled into shallow left. Soto scampered to second for his second double of the day and Manny Machado scored, giving the Padres a 2-1 lead.
Kyle Farmer then drew the Twins even again in the home half of the fourth with a 433-foot solo shot to left.
But Odor blasted a solo home run of his own to lead off the fifth, putting San Diego back on top, 3-2.
Ober still managed to record a quality start, allowing three runs on six hits in six innings. He struck out six and did not issue a walk.
–Field Level Media