Story by
Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.
Defense does Twins in as Padres rally for 7-5 win
- Story byPioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.
- Defense does Twins in as Padres rally for 7-5 win
SAN DIEGO — The Twins' rotation has found some needed stability in midseason acquisition Dean Kremer, who turned in another solid performance on Saturday night, but potential runs left on base and defensive miscues ultimately led to a 7-5 loss.
Luke Keaschall hit a leadoff home run in the first inning, and Brooks Lee and Kaelen Culpepper went back-to-back an inning later to give Kremer an early cushion, but defensive miscues helped the Padres rally.
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Kremer allowed two runs on three hits and three walks, and Minnesota led 5-2 after six innings before the wheels came off.
After hitting three home runs early off Padres starter Casey Mize, who left the game in the third inning with a sprained right ankle, the Twins tacked on one more run in the third and one in the fourth for a 5-1 lead.
But they were unable to capitalize in the sixth with a bases-loaded opportunity, and in the seventh, defensive miscues did them in.
"We started out swinging the bats, and then we didn't add on," manager Derek Shelton said. "We had an opportunity to add on, and then we just could not hold them at bay. We made a couple mistakes."
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The Padres' second batter of the inning reached on a catcher's interference call on Ryan Jeffers, and after Andrew Morris (4-5) allowed a single, Jake Cronenworth hit a two-run double to make it 5-4.
Manny Machado then hit a ball toward Culpepper at short. Culpepper tried to get Cronenworth at third, but Lee missed the ball and Cronenworth scored the tying run.
"I called three, and then it was a good throw; (I) just went to tag too quick," Lee said. "That would have been a pretty cool out, but didn't end up happening. As soon as we went to the mound, I said, 'It's a good throw. It's not your fault.' "
The error was charged to Lee for the missed catch, and Shelton said he wasn't sure trying to get the runner at third was the right move, calling it a "50-50 decision." Culpepper said it was a split-second decision and he was "just trying to make something happen."
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"It's tough," Culpepper said. "Everything happens so fast. I'm just trying to get it over there and have him make another good play on it. It's just one of those things, you know what I mean?"
"It was 0-0, so it is what it is, but good swing by him," Kremer said of the home run. "And then kind of limiting damage from then on out, trying as best we can to be as good with the plan as we were and just try to stack innings and zeros to try to help the club win."
The Padres added one more in the inning, and another in the eighth. At that point, the Twins knew what was looming: hard-throwing closer Mason Miller, who is striking out nearly 50 percent of the batters he faces.
Miller needed just 10 pitches to collect his 32nd save of the season.
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"We have got to continue to add on, especially because of the fact that we do know what's at the back end of their bullpen, and you have to try to get as many runs as possible," Shelton said.
