Sports

Lewis homers to back sharp outing by Paddack as Twins beat Rockies 5-0

Rockies Twins Baseball
Minnesota Twins' Royce Lewis gestures while running the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Monday in Minneapolis.
Abbie Parr | AP

Royce Lewis homered in the eighth inning to break open the game, and Chris Paddack bounced back from a rough outing with a sharp performance to lift the Minnesota Twins to a 5-0 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Monday night.

Lewis, who was injured in the season opener and missed two months with a severe right quad strain, has homered four times in seven games. Lewis took Rockies reliever Nick Mears deep to left for a 435-foot, two-run blast to cap a three-run eighth inning.

โ€œIt's impressive, but nothing that would shock you at this point. Heโ€™s a very dangerous hitter,โ€ Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. โ€œYou feel like every swing, something good could happen for your team."

Christian Vรกsquez, Carlos Correa and Trevor Larnach each drove in a run for the Twins, who have won two in a row after dropping five straight games.

Paddack (5-3) allowed six hits and struck out six in 6 1/3 innings. He pitched out of trouble in the first inning when Coloradoโ€™s Charlie Blackmon singled to lead off the game and eventually ended up at third base. But the Twins right-hander struck out Ryan McMahon to strand Blackmon on third.

โ€œHe pitched well. We had the first-inning chance. Double play got us,โ€ Rockies manager Bud Black said. โ€œBut Paddack pitched well. He's got good stuff.โ€

Rockies right-hander Dakota Hudson (2-8) took the loss despite allowing just four hits in 6 2/3 innings. One of the two runs he allowed was unearned.

In his previous start, Paddack allowed seven runs in four innings in a loss to the Yankees. While he said he felt like his stuff was good in that outing, New York jumped on him for four first-inning runs before he eventually settled in for a stretch.

The stuff was sharp again Monday, but with better results. He didn't allow a runner past first base after the opening inning and didn't issue a walk.

Paddack exited the game with a standing ovation from the Target Field crowd.

โ€œI just felt like myself out there tonight,โ€ Paddack said. โ€œIt was fun.โ€

Manny Margot scored the gameโ€™s first run after doubling to the corner in right and advancing to third on an error by right fielder Hunter Goodman. Margot scored one batter later on a sacrifice fly by Vรกzquez.

The Twins manufactured another run in the fourth. Lewis reached first base on a force out, advanced to second on Max Kepler's groundout, and scored on Correaโ€™s two-out double.

Trainers room

Rockies catcher Elias Dรญaz left the game with left calf tightness. Dรญaz was injured in the top of the first inning when he grounded into a double play. He was examined by team trainers and was replaced behind the plate in the bottom of the first by Jacob Stallings.

Up next

RHP Cal Quantrill (5-4, 3.58 ERA) starts the second game of the series for Colorado, looking to follow his strong outing last time out in a win against St. Louis. Minnesota will recall RHP Louie Varland (0-4, 9.18) from Triple-A St. Paul to start Tuesday's game. Varland has not pitched in the majors since April.