MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Carlos Correa and Trevor Larnach hit back-to-back home runs for Minnesota in the first inning against Seattle starter George Kirby, and the Twins held on to beat the Sailors 6-3 and help Chris Paddack win his fourth straight start Wednesday night.
Willi Castro went deep in the second and hit an RBI triple in the fourth that gave the Twins a three-up lead, giving Paddack (4-1) enough fuel to extend its career-long winning streak.
The right-hander, who missed most of the previous two seasons while recovering from an elbow reconstruction, tied his Twins record with 10 strikeouts while pitching in the sixth. He allowed a solo home run to Mitch Garver, the only run against him.
“It’s just a really good outing, in every way,” manager Rocco Baldelli said.
The Twins let Paddack throw a record 99 pitches, the second most of his career, before Caleb Thielbar came in for the final two outs in the sixth. Paddack wanted to shake Baldelli’s hand and thank him for his trust.
“I will have very few opportunities this year to be able to ask more of Rocco,” Paddack said, “and tonight was one of them.”
Castro, who took over as regular central defender with Byron Buxton absenttook over the club lucky summer sausage in the dugout after going deeper. After putting the heavily wrapped meat on the shelf for the next circuit, repeatedly he felt his batting gloves to make sure there was no rot.
“I know it’s going to open one day,” Castro said. “It’s almost there. That day is almost here.
Cal Raleigh, whose pinch hit Grand Slam sparked the rally for a Victory 10-6 On Tuesday, he hit a two-out, two-run double against the wall in right center off Griffin Jax to bring the Mariners within one in the seventh.
Minnesota’s bullpen remains in flux with the setup’s key men, Brock Stewart and Justin Topa, on the injured list. But Jax pitched a perfect eighth to close the gap with Jhoan Duran getting his third save with a perfect ninth inning after Ryan Jeffers and Max Kepler hit RBI doubles in the eighth to extend the lead.
The Mariners went 1 for 7 with three strikeouts with runners in scoring position.
“It’s really hard to initiate rallies and maintain momentum when we’re not putting the ball in play,” manager Scott Servais said.
Kirby (3-3), who had allowed just two home runs so far this season, gave up more than three home runs for just the third time in 64 career starts.
“He really throws the fastball,” Castro said. “We were really aggressive with him.”
Kirby allowed four runs in five innings, failing to add to Seattle’s total of 22 quality starts, tied for the major league lead with Philadelphia.
“There’s nothing physically wrong with George. I know everyone has all these ideas, whatever,” Servais said. “It won’t come out right now.”
Kirby Snead, who was promoted from Triple-A Tacoma before the game, had a perfect sixth in becoming the 1,000th player to appear in a game in Mariners history.
TRAINERS ROOM
Mariners: RHP Tayler Saucedo, who hyperextended his right knee while covering first base Tuesday, was placed on the 15-day injured list before the game.
Twins: Topa, who was acquired from the Mariners in the trade for 2B Jorge Polanco to play a key late-inning role in the bullpen, aggravated patellar tendonitis in his left knee during an outing rehabilitation on Sunday.
FOLLOWING
RHP Logan Gilbert (3-0, 1.69 ERA) starts for the Mariners in the four-game series finale Thursday afternoon. RHP Pablo López (3-2, 4:30 ERA) takes the mound for the Twins.
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