PITTSBURGH — Manuel Margot hit an RBI triple to start a seven-run outburst in the 10th inning, and the Minnesota Twins ended a five-game losing streak with an 11-5 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday.
Margot led off the 10th with a triple to center field off a cutter from Ben Heller (0-1), scoring automatic runner Kyle Farmer. Willi Castro was hit by a pitch for a second time in the game, bringing in another run with the bases loaded and no outs. Carlos Santana tacked on two more with a double to right ahead of a two-run single from Carlos Correa and another single from Max Kepler that made it 11-4.
“The game is nuts,” Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli said. “You can play and things go a certain way for days and days and days at a time, and then you put it together and you put up, what did we put up, seven runs in one inning in extra innings? It’s goofy. And when I say it’s nuts, we’re all kind of nuts. If you kind of like this, you like it for things like today.”
Heller, who plunked three batters, has an ERA of 49.50. He allowed five runs in one inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday, two days after being selected from Triple-A Indianapolis.
“You have to try to keep his head up,” Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton said. “I mean, he’s scuffled the two outings up here. We’ve got to continue to work with him.”
Jhoan Durán (1-2) pitched a perfect ninth inning.
The Twins were shut out in the first two games of the three-game series after being swept in three games at Yankee Stadium. The Pirates finished a 4-2 homestand that included winning two of three against the Dodgers.
“It took a lot,” Baldelli said. “Squeezing a lot of the juice out and trying to get every bit that you can. You just keep squeezing and hope that more comes out. I don’t know what I’m really saying at the moment, but truth is, it took a lot of work.”
Jared Jones went five innings and allowed three runs — all in the first — on six hits for Pittsburgh.
The rookie right-hander was tagged with back-to-back singles from Trevor Larnach and Correa in the first before walking Kepler to load the bases with one out. José Miranda walked to force in the first run, Correa scored on a fielder’s choice and Kepler made it 3-0 on a passed ball.
Henry Davis and Andrew McCutchen walked with two outs in the Pirates fifth. Bryan Reynolds snuck an RBI double off Twins starter Bailey Ober just over a leaping Santana at first base and down the right-field line.
Connor Joe then sent a changeup to left-center for a two-run triple, putting Pittsburgh ahead 4-3 and ending Ober’s outing after 4 2/3 innings. He gave up four runs and seven hits.
“I felt great,” Ober said. “Felt like I was under control the whole game until I was trying to get that last out when I was out there.”
Kyle Nicolas hit Castro with a pitch and walked Santana to load the bases with one out in the sixth. Justin Bruihl allowed a sacrifice fly by Royce Lewis, tying it 4-all.
“Everything is positive,” Santana said. “It’s a long season, a long season. The season is up and down, but we have to keep our heads up, take it one day at a time and try to play hard every day for a win.”
UP NEXTTwins: RHP Chris Paddack (4-3, 5.26 ERA) will start Monday to begin a three-game home series against the Rockies. RHP Dakota Hudson (2-7, 5.25) goes for Colorado.
Pirates: Rookie RHP Paul Skenes (3-0, 3.00 ERA), drafted No. 1 overall in 2023, will take the mound Tuesday to open a three-game series in St. Louis opposite RHP Miles Mikolas (4-6, 5.32).
GUARDIANS 6, MARLINS 3MIAMI (AP) — Tyler Freeman hit a tie-breaking three-run homer in the seventh inning and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Miami Marlins 6-3 on Sunday.
Gabriel Arias also went deep and José Ramirez doubled and drove in his major league-leading 62nd run for the AL Central-leading Guardians, who improved to 42-22 and took the series.
After Brayan Rocchio and Steven Kwan singled with one out, Freeman connected off reliever A.J. Puk (0-7) with a drive over the wall in left field for his sixth homer and a 5-2 lead.
“It feels great, knowing that you got it,” Freeman said. “There’s no better feeling than that. I was able to get the ball up and it went out.”
Nick Sandlin (5-0) pitched the sixth for the win. He was one of five Cleveland relievers that retired 13 straight before Jake Burger homered off closer Emmanuel Clase with two out in the ninth.
“With a game like today, and we have an off day tomorrow, we had our full bullpen ready to go,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “Man, they were special today.”
The Marlins have lost six of seven and dropped to an NL worst 22-43.
“There’s a reason why they’re 20 games over .500 or whatever it is,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said of the Guardians. “They play really good defense, they strike people out, and they get the timely hits. The slug is there when they need it. They’re a really tough team to face. A really well constructed roster.”
Nick Gordon’s RBI single off Cleveland starter Carlos Carrasco in the fifth snapped a 1-all tie.
The Guardians tied it again in the sixth on David Fry’s single against reliever Andrew Nardi.
Carrasco pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowing two runs and four hits, while striking out three. The 15-year veteran right-hander also understood why Vogt removed him after 55 pitches.
“I respect any decision he makes,” Carrasco said. “I think the most important thing is winning games. It doesn’t matter if I go there one, two, three, four innings. I just want to go out there and give my best.”
Marlins starter Trevor Rogers gave up one run and two hits over five innings. He walked four and struck out five.
Arias’ solo shot in the second gave Cleveland a 1-0 lead. Arias drove Rogers’ sinker over the wall in right center for his second homer of the season.
“It all started in our hitters’ meeting and learning what approach to take against (Rogers),” Arias said in Spanish. “That was the pitch I was looking for on the outer areas of the plate.”
Retired pitcher Dontrelle Willis threw the ceremonial first pitch before the game. Willis made his major league debut with the Marlins’ 2003 World Series championship club and made an immediate impact, winning NL Rookie of the Year. The left-hander also finished second for the NL Cy Young Award in 2005, when he finished 22-10 and had a 2.63 ERA.
TRAINER’S ROOMGuardians: Catcher Bo Naylor (left shoulder soreness) sat out the series. Naylor first experienced discomfort after a collision at the plate with Kansas City’s MJ Melendez on Thursday.
UP NEXTGuardians: RHP Triston McKenzie (2-3, 4.16 ERA) starts the opener of a two-game road set at Cincinnati on Tuesday.
Marlins: LHP Jesús Luzardo (2-5, 5.30) will start the opener of a three-game series at the New York Mets on Tuesday. RHP Tylor Megill (1-2, 3.00) starts for New York.
CUBS 4, REDS 2CINCINNATI (AP) — Ian Happ drove in three runs with a bases-loaded double in the first inning and Shota Imanaga had another strong start as the Chicago Cubs ended the Cincinnati Reds’ seven-game winning streak with a 4-2 victory on Sunday.
“We pitched really well today,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “Really good at-bats in the first inning. And we got a big hit. We didn’t get big hits most of the day, unfortunately.”
The two teams have been going in opposite directions. The Reds have won 12 of 16 while the Cubs have lost 12 of 16.
The Reds who won the first three games in the series, haven’t swept the Cubs in a four-game series since 2018.
Imanaga (6-1) has allowed 12 runs (eight earned) over his past two starts. On Sunday, he allowed two earned runs in 6 2/3 with a walk and seven strikeouts.
“The best pitchers in the game give up hits,” Counsell said. “He fooled us into thinking it never happens.”
Seiya Suzuki returned to the Cubs lineup and went 3 for 5 with a double and run scored. He missed Saturday’s game after being hit in the back by a throw on Friday.
Reds starter Frankie Montas (3-5) was coming off his best outing of the season allowing one hit in seven innings at Colorado on Tuesday. But the Cubs hit him hard Sunday.
Happ snapped an 0-for-11 skid with a bases-loaded double that drove in three runs.
“Up three in the first, takes the pressure off a little bit,” Happ said. “We had a lot of chances today. Scored four, could’ve been a lot more. Just keep building off that.”
Montas needed 39 pitches to get through the first inning.
The Cubs added a fourth run in the second on Michael Tauchman’s RBI single. Montas exited after allowing four earned runs on five hits in 1 1/3 innings.
“It was one of those you’re not in sync with your body,” Montas said. “The mechanics mess with you. I couldn’t throw the fastball up when I wanted. My arm is healthy. My next bullpen I will figure why. I’ll just flip the page.”
Reds catcher Luke Maile launched his second homer of the season on Imanaga’s first pitch of the third to make the score 4-1.
“I executed better on what I’m good at, fastball and the changeup down,” Imanaga said through a translator. “If we’re winning or we’re losing, my job’s still the same. Just go out there and pitch.”
Carson Spiers, recalled from Triple-A prior to the game, tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings in relief of Montas to keep the score close.
The Cubs left the bases loaded in the top of the ninth. But Héctor Neris retired the Reds in order in the bottom half for his ninth save of the season.
TRAINERS ROOMCubs: 2B Nico Hoerner remained out of the lineup after fracturing a bone in his right hand when he was hit by a pitch on Thursday. He did light activity on Sunday and will be evaluated following Monday’s off day.
Reds: RHP Emilio Pagán (right lat strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list.
UP NEXTCubs: Right-hander Jameson Taillon (3-2, 3.47 ERA) will start Tuesday’s series opener in Tampa Bay.
Reds: The starter has not been announced for Tuesday’s opener of a two-game series against Cleveland.
