Under the flood Wednesday night, the Minnesota Twins staged an amazing comeback against the Miami Marlins with an 8-3 victory. The highlight was when Manuel Margot, the Twins’ breakout star, capitalized on a Miami error, running from second base to lead off a five-run rally in the seventh inning.
A Seventh Inning Like No Other
The seventh inning was a whirlwind of action, starting with Christian Vázquez’s sacrifice bunt misguided past first base, leaving Margot wide open for a home run. Carlos Correa and Carlos Santana then added to the scoreboard with RBI and three runs scored respectively, snapping a three-game losing streak for the Twins. For the Marlins, the loss marked their 100th loss of the season, a dubious milestone reached four times in franchise history.
Without the win, the Twins are two games behind Detroit in the hunt for the final AL wild card with just four games to play. Detroit, Kansas City, and Seattle all won on Wednesday, keeping the wild card race alive and kicking.
Strong Wind of Minnesota
Twins rookie Simeon Woods Richardson had a rough start in the game, with Jake Burger of the Marlins hitting a three-run homer in the first innings. This called for a return of momentum from Mawele, which they did very quickly.
“There’s a strong sense there. It’s not easy if you’re down and you’re down too soon. But the ability to refocus on what we had to do was great,” commented Rocco Baldelli, Twins manager.
The Rescuers Rise to the Event
Griffin Jax (5-5) played a key role in the win for the Twins, working 1 1/3 innings of relief and earning the win for Minnesota. Six Twins relievers combined to cover eight innings, allowing just five hits and no walks. On the other hand, Marlins right-hander Declan Cronin had a forgettable outing, allowing four earned runs.
Byron Buxton Ends Home Drought
In a memorable moment for the Twins, Byron Buxton hit a long-awaited home run, ending the team’s streak of 67 consecutive innings without a home run. The Twins’ final game from Willie Castro is against Cleveland on October 17th.
“As long as we win, that’s all that matters,” insisted Buxton.
Marlins Pitcher Edward Cabrera Falters
Miami’s Edward Cabrera allowed three runs in five innings, following his seven-run start against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Despite a 3.71 ERA in his previous 12 starts since the All-Star break, Cabrera struggled to stop the Twins’ offense.
Looking Forward
The series finale will see David Festa (2-6, 4.80 ERA) start for the Twins, while the Marlins will counter with Valente Bellozo (3-4, 3.82). As the MLB season draws to a close, every game counts and every moment counts. This promises to be another exciting encounter.
