MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Carlos Correa’s flare to right field evaded a sliding Teoscar Hernández and scored automatic runner Donovan Solano as the Minnesota Twins won their second straight game in extra innings, beating the Seattle Mariners 4-3 in 10 innings o Monday night.
Solano moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Christian Vázquez, and Ryan Jeffers reached when no Seattle player covered first base on another bunt. Correa then sent a soft liner to right, where Hernández tried, but failed, to make a sliding catch for the third out.
Jorge Lopez (4-2) retired all three batters he faced in the top of the 10th for Minnesota, which continued its second-half surge.
Minnesota is 9-2 since the All-Star break, including three wins in five meetings with Seattle, and has gone from a half-game behind Cleveland in the AL Central to four games ahead of the Guardians.
Paul Sewald (3-1) pitched the 10th for the Mariners.
Max Kepler had an RBI double in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game for the Twins after Kolten Wong hit a pinch-hit, two-run homer with two outs in the top of the inning for Seattle.
Tom Murphy added his sixth homer in his last 14 games for Seattle, which has won four of five.
Trevor Larnach hit an RBI triple for Minnesota after he was recalled from Triple-A St. Paul earlier in the day after Byron Buxton went on the paternity list. He tied the game in the fifth, scoring Max Kepler after Kepler’s leadoff single was the first hit for Minnesota off Castillo. Christian Vázquez followed with an RBI single to put the Twins ahead.
TRAINERS ROOM
Twins: Jorge Polanco (left hamstring strain) is scheduled to play nine innings at third base on Tuesday during his rehab assignment with Triple-A St. Paul. A regular second baseman, Polanco is working at third during his rehab assignment for a position move with the emergence of Julien. … LHP Caleb Thielbar (right oblique strain) said he’s scheduled to pitch for St. Paul on Tuesday.
UP NEXT
RHP George Kirby (9-8, 3.23 ERA) starts for Seattle on Tuesday, while RHP Pablo López (5-6, 4.22) is scheduled for Minnesota. Kirby pitched seven scoreless innings and tied his career high with 10 strikeouts against the Twins last week. López took the loss in the same game, giving up two runs in five innings.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
