Minnesota 3, Cincinnati 1
When: 2:10 PM ET, Saturday, April 28, 2018
Where: Target Field, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Temperature:
53°
Umpires:
Home -
Tom Woodring, 1B -
Ted Barrett, 2B -
Lance Barksdale, 3B -
Will Little
Attendance:
27115
By Field Level Media
Minnesota right-hander Jake Odorizzi allowed just a second-inning home run, and he and the bullpen worked out of some big threats posed by the Cincinnati Reds in winning 3-1 Saturday afternoon at Target Field and ending the Twins' eight-game losing streak.
The Twins scored two runs in the fourth off Reds starter Sal Romano (1-3), one scoring on a double from Eduardo Escobar and the other on a sacrifice fly from Robbie Grossman, and they added a run in the fifth on catcher Mitch Garver's solo home run.
Odorizzi (2-2) wriggled out of a tight spot in the fifth inning after walking Adam Duvall with one out and allowing a double to Devin Mesoraco.
Odorizzi came back to strike out Billy Hamilton, and after an intentional walk to leadoff hitter Jesse Winker, who saw his nine-game hitting streak end Saturday, he induced a pop-out from Jose Peraza to end the inning.
In six innings, Odorizzi gave up five hits, one of which was Scott Schebler's third home run of the season, with two walks and three strikeouts. He threw 91 pitches, 60 for strikes.
The Reds threatened again in the top of the seventh. Duvall hit a ground-rule double to center field, and Twins manager Paul Molitor brought in lefty reliever Zach Duke.
Mesoraco greeted Duke with a single to right field to send Duvall to third, but Duke rallied to get Hamilton on another popout, then struck out Winker and got Peraza on a shallow fly ball to right.
The Twins, playing without third baseman Miguel Sano, who has tightness in one of his hamstrings, got a single from Eddie Rosario to begin the fourth inning.
Escobar then doubled down the right field line, and Rosario scored from first when the ball kicked off the side wall into right field and Winker bobbled the ball for an error, Escobar taking third. Max Kepler flew out to short center, but Grossman hit a fly ball to Winker in deep enough right field to allow Escobar to score.
Garver led off the Twins' fifth inning by clubbing a home run to left field on an 0-1 offspeed pitch.
Reds relievers Austin Brice and Dylan Floro kept the game close with 3 1/3 shutout innings, and the Reds had one last chance in the ninth inning.
With Twins reliever Fernando Rodney in search of his third save, he walked Schebler to lead off the inning. After a flyout, he also walked Mesoraco, but Rodney got Tucker Barnhart on a weak popout behind second base and got Winker on a first-pitch popout that the third baseman Escobar caught near home plate.
Rodney had blown saves in his three of his four previous appearances.
--Field Level Media
Top Game Performances
Team Stats Summary
| Team |
Hits |
HR |
TB |
Avg |
LOB |
K |
RBI |
BB |
SB |
Errors |
| Cincinnati
|
6 |
1 |
11 |
.188 |
22 |
4 |
1 |
5 |
0 |
2 |
| Minnesota
|
8 |
1 |
14 |
.258 |
14 |
6 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
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