Trevor Larnach's 2-run homer lifts Twins to 5-3 win over Mariners and extends HR streak to 19 games
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Trevor Larnach hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the eighth inning to extend Minnesota’s home run streak to 19 games and lift the Twins to a 5-3 win over the Seattle Mariners on Sunday.
Minnesota set a franchise record for consecutive games with a longball, but it took until the late innings. Larnach drove an 0-1 pitch from reliever Ryne Stanek (5-2) to right-center field for his eighth home run.
“He's had a lot of good at-bats lately. I don't know if he would say he's locked in, but he's hit some balls really good," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. "His luck hasn't quite been there but we're still running him out there and he's doing positive things.”
Minnesota’s 19-game homer streak is the second-longest in the majors this season behind Baltimore’s 22-game run earlier in June. Larnach also had an RBI single in the first inning, before Austin Martin’s run-scoring double and Jose Miranda’s RBI single plated a pair in the fifth.
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The Twins took two of three to end Seattle’s run of winning series at home. The Mariners had won nine straight series at T-Mobile Park dating to mid-April.
Minnesota starter Joe Ryan struck out 10 over 5 2/3 innings, his second time this season reaching double figures in strikeouts. Ryan allowed six hits and one earned run. Jhoan Durán pitched the ninth for his 12th save as the Twins finished their road trip 6-3.
“I feel like this year I'm not really chasing Ks as much as I have in the past," Ryan said. "(A) double-digit game is awesome, it's fun, but just trying to fill up the zone and make good pitches.”
Seattle’s Luis Castillo pitched five innings and allowed three runs on six hits and struck out three. His day ended prematurely in part because he was lifted for a pinch hitter in the fifth.
Castillo was forced into the batting order when Seattle lost the designated hitter in the third inning. Starting catcher Mitch Garver sustained a bruised right wrist when he was hit by a pitch from Ryan in the second inning. Cal Raleigh — the DH for the day — had to take over behind the plate.
Castillo struck out on three pitches and didn't swing in his one plate appearance. It was his first at-bat since the end of the 2021 season.
“Luis hasn't had a bat in his hands for a couple of years. There is so much baseball yet and we need him to be a guy for us on the mound. You have to be really careful there,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said.
The fifth inning was chaotic all around for Seattle as it scored twice to cut into Minnesota’s lead.
Dylan Moore scored on Julio Rodríguez's tapper back to the mound that Ryan bobbled. Moore was initially ruled out at the plate, but the call was overturned on replay. Raleigh reached when his flyball to center field was lost in the sun, and Luke Raley’s infield single scored another run. But the Mariners missed their chance at a big inning, leaving the bases loaded as Ryan Bliss — pinch-hitting for Castillo — struck out and Jorge Polanco popped out.
“It was bizarre. Really bizarre. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen an inning play out in that manner,” Baldelli said.
Polanco made up for it in the seventh, ripping a line-drive single with two outs to score Raley. Cole Sands (3-1) fell behind in the count and Polanco’s shot clanged off the wall in right field to pull Seattle even.
Up next
Twins: Return home to begin a series against Detroit on Tuesday with RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (3-1, 3.41 ERA) starting the opener.
Mariners: Open a three-game series against Baltimore on Tuesday with RHP George Kirby (7-5, 3.35) getting the start.