Cardinals vs Twins Recap: Late surge, Twins win 9-8

The Cardinals came to Minnesota carrying a two-game losing streak. The Twins welcomed them to Target Field looking to build momentum. Alec Burleson stepped up first. On the fourth pitch from Joe Ryan, a 95 mph fastball sailed into his bat. He crushed it toward right-center field—419 feet of pure power. The ball cleared the wall and St. Louis took the lead 1-0 in the first inning.

But Byron Buxton answered right back. The Twins' center fielder is one of baseball's most exciting players when he's healthy and on the field. He took a pitch from Kyle Leahy and launched his own home run. This one traveled 425 feet to center field. The score was tied 1-1 after just one inning. Two of the game's best hitters had set the tone immediately. The crowd was already on its feet.

The second inning brought more action. Blaze Jordan stepped to the plate facing Joe Ryan's 95 mph fastball. He made solid contact and drove a single to center field. That hit scored Lars Nootbaar from second base. The Cardinals were now ahead 2-1.

Two outs later, JJ Wetherholt came through with another hit. His single to right field scored Masyn Winn. Suddenly St. Louis had built a 3-1 advantage. The Cardinals' lineup was clicking. They were putting pressure on the Twins' pitching right away. Minnesota needed to respond quickly or this game would slip away. The Twins' hitters had to answer back and remind everyone they could score too.

The middle innings stayed tense. Minnesota fought back. In the fifth inning, Tristan Gray's infield single scored Royce Lewis. The score became 3-2. Then in the sixth, Josh Bell doubled to center, scoring Byron Buxton. Royce Lewis followed with a sacrifice fly that scored Kody Clemens. The Twins now led 4-3.

But the Cardinals weren't done. In the seventh, Jordan Walker stepped up after Alec Burleson walked. Walker crushed a double to left field that sent three runners home—Burleson, Wetherholt, and Ivan Herrera all scored. The Cardinals exploded to a 7-4 lead. Then Clemens answered with a home run for Minnesota. In the eighth, the Twins kept hitting. Royce Lewis and Brooks Lee both homered. Minnesota won 9-8. The Cardinals fell to 37-31. The Twins improved to 33-39.

The game came down to the final moments. After Walker's two-run double in the seventh, it looked like the Cardinals might run away with this one. But Minnesota's bats would not quit. Clemens' home run in the seventh tied things up at 7-7.

The eighth inning was the turning point. Jose Fermin singled for St. Louis to make it 8-7. That should have been the lead. Then Lewis stepped up and smacked a 394-foot home run. Suddenly it was 8-8. One batter later, Brooks Lee launched another shot over the wall for 382 feet. That put Minnesota ahead 9-8 and proved to be the final score. The Twins won their first game of a possible winning streak. St. Louis' hopes dimmed slightly. Baseball had reminded us why walk-offs matter.