Twins end their three-game losing streak with an 8-3 win over Miami and give the Marlins their 100th loss

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota’s Manuel Margot scored from second base on one of four Miami errors in the five-run seventh inning and the Twins fought back to beat the Marlins 8-3 on Wednesday night.

Christian Vázquez’s sacrifice bunt in the seventh inning was thrown wide of first base, allowing Margot to score. Carlos Correa followed with an RBI double that scored Vázquez, and Carlos Santana added a three-run double as Minnesota ended a three-game losing streak and handed Miami its 100th loss of the season for the fourth time in franchise history.

The Twins kept their playoff hopes alive. Minnesota is two games behind Detroit in the race for the AL’s final wild card with four games remaining. Detroit, Kansas City (which holds the second wild card) and Seattle, which is a half-game behind the Twins, were all victorious on Wednesday.

Another short start by Minnesota rookie Simeon Woods Richardson made the comeback necessary. Jake Burger hit a three-run home run for the Marlins three batters into the game and Miami’s first five batters reached base in the first inning.

“There was a certain tenacity there,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “And the guys stuck with it. It’s not easy when you’re behind and behind early. It’s a challenge. We almost pretend it’s not like that, but it is. It is. But the ability to refocus our attention on what we needed to do was very good.”

Griffin Jax (5-5) played 1 1/3 innings as a relief pitcher and got the win for Minnesota. Six Twins relief pitchers covered eight innings and allowed five hits and no walks.

Marlins right-hander Declan Cronin allowed the runner to score in the seventh inning after Brooks Lee hit a double off the right outfield wall against Michael Peterson (3-1). Peterson allowed one run in over an inning. Cronin conceded four unearned runs.

Woods Richardson finishes his first full season in the major leagues with a record of 5-5 and a 4.17 ERA. He was 3-1 with a 3.51 ERA in the first half before hitting a 5.23 ERA in the second half.

“Baseball happened,” Woods Richardson said of his start. “But what also happened is the bullpen threw zeroes. We got a great team win. We never gave up today. Every pitch, every out, every quality AB we got, we never gave up.”

Byron Buxton hit a home run for the Twins, ending a streak of 67 consecutive innings without a home run for the team. Minnesota hadn’t hit a home run since Willi Castro hit one in the eighth inning against Cleveland on Oct. 17.

“As long as we win, that’s all that matters,” Buxton said.

Edward Cabrera allowed three runs in five innings in a start for Miami. The 26-year-old right-hander had previously scored seven runs against the Los Angeles Dodgers but had a 3.71 ERA in his last 12 starts since the All-Star break.

TRAINING ROOM

Twins: OF Matt Wallner was placed on the 10-day injured list with a strained left oblique muscle, and RHP Justin Topa (left patellar tendon inflammation) was activated from the 60-day injured list. Topa, who came to Seattle in a January trade for Jorge Polanco, had missed the entire season before pitching the ninth inning. RHP Jorge Alcala and Austin Martin were recalled from Triple-A, while LHP Brent Headrick was optioned and LHP Cole Irvin was designated for assignment.

Next

RHP David Festa (2-6, 4.80 ERA) starts for Minnesota in the finale of the three-game series on Thursday. Miami counters with RHP Valente Bellozo (3-4, 3.82).

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