Sports

Minnesota Twins snap three-game skid, top San Diego Padres 11-4

two baseball players slap hands
Minnesota Twins right fielder Matt Wallner, right, celebrates with teammate center fielder Austin Martin after the Twins defeated the San Diego Padres 11-4 in a baseball game Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024, in San Diego.
Gregory Bull | AP

Matt Wallner’s three-run homer highlighted a seven-run fourth inning as the Minnesota Twins beat the San Diego Padres 11-4 on Wednesday.

With the win, Minnesota snapped a three-game skid and avoided a sweep in San Diego. The Twins completed a seven-game trip at 4-3.

The Padres lost for just the seventh time in 29 games.

Minnesota start Simeon Woods Richardson (5-3) was helped by the Twins' 18-hit attack and won his second straight start. The 23-year-old right-hander blanked the Padres through fout innings and allowed a run on three hits, with seven strikeouts and two walks.

The Twins took a one-run lead in the third before breaking the game open in the fourth when they sent 10 batters to the plate, scored seven runs and extended their lead to 8-0.

With one out, Minnesota got two singles and a pair of run-scoring doubles from Austin Martin and Willi Castro. Royce Lewis added an RBI single before Wallner’s blast, his eighth of the year, which landed deep into the right-field seats.

Minnesota added two runs in the fifth on Martin’s double — for his third RBI of the game — and Trevor Larnach’s RBI single.

a baseball player gets ready to catch a ball
Minnesota Twins right fielder Manuel Margot bobbles the catch on a hit for a triple by San Diego Padres' Jake Cronenworth during the eighth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024, in San Diego.
Gregory Bull | AP

Larnach and Edouard Julien each had four hits. Carlos Santana was the only starting player without a hit for the Twins.

Matt Waldron (7-11) allowed a career-high 10 runs and 12 hits, a walk and a hit batter with three strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings.

Jackson Merrill and Donovan Solano homered for the Padres.

Up next

Twins: RHP David Festa (2-2, 4.96) faces the visiting St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.

Padres: RHP Dylan Cease (12-9, 3.46) opens a four-game set against the visiting New York Mets on Thursday.