The Minnesota Twins surged back to secure a 5-3 victory against the Seattle Mariners on Friday night, a result that pulls Minnesota into a tie with the Cleveland Guardians for the final American League wild-card position. The win marks the seventh triumph for the Twins in their last nine outings, as they continue to capitalize on a late-season push.
Trailing 3-2 heading into the seventh inning, the Twins utilized their power hitting to flip the deficit. Royce Lewis ignited the rally with a 419-foot solo home run to left-center field off Mariners reliever Jose A. Ferrer. Following an infield single by Alan Roden, Luke Keaschall delivered a decisive run-scoring double off reliever Eduard Bazardo, giving Minnesota the lead. Ryan Jeffers added an insurance run in the eighth inning with a solo home run to left field, finalizing the scoring.
The Mariners initially established a lead in the first inning when Cal Raleigh hit a ground-rule double to score two runs. Seattle added to their lead in the second inning via a solo home run from Cole Young. Despite the early pressure, the Twins’ pitching staff stabilized the game. Starter Zebby Matthews, who struck out a career-high 10 batters over five-plus innings, kept the team within striking distance. Reliever Kody Funderburk provided 1 1/3 perfect innings, and Yoendrys Gomez successfully navigated the ninth inning to earn his 14th save of the season.
For the Mariners, the loss marks their third consecutive defeat and their eighth in the last 10 games, further complicating their standing as the team struggles to find consistency in the final stretch of the season.