Byron Buxton finished off a spectacular series against the Cincinnati Reds with two home runs and a double to help the Minnesota Twins salvage the finale of the three-game series, 12-5, on Thursday in Cincinnati.
The Twins center fielder opened the series by homering and taking away a potential home run from Will Benson in the first game. He finished it by clubbing a pair of home runs to give him a team-leading 15 on the season, and four for the series, as the Twins snapped a season-high six-game losing streak.
Ryan Jeffers returned from a day off due to a bruised right hand and belted a two-run homer that traveled an estimated 448 feet to left-center field to ice the game in the eighth. The Twins finished with 17 hits on the afternoon.
TJ Friedl had three hits while Gavin Lux belted a two-run homer for the Reds, who saw their four-game win streak come to an end and lost for just the third time in 12 contests.
For a second straight game, Buxton led off with a long homer to left, this one reaching an estimated 432 feet halfway up the upper deck. It was his 12th career leadoff homer and third this season.
On the mound, Chris Paddack (3-6) earned his first win since May 15, a span of six starts including Thursday. The right-hander allowed six hits and four runs over five innings, striking out three and walking none.
Cincinnati starter and loser Nick Martinez (4-8) could not shut the door on the Minnesota offense. Kody Clemens pulled a cut fastball down the right field line for a two-run homer in the second and Buxton followed immediately with his second homer of the game in a three-run second as the Twins took the lead for good, 4-2.
After the Twins added three more in the third to chase Martinez, Lux answered with a two-run homer off Paddack in the third to make it 7-4. Martinez was tagged for seven runs on seven hits in 2 2/3 innings.
Minnesota’s Brooks Lee extended his career-best hitting streak to 18 games with a double to right off reliever Ian Gibaut in the sixth.
–Field Level Media
