Cruz’s Big Homer Not Enough As Mariners Lose 3-2 To Twins

It was the 39th of the season for Cruz, who also homered in the series opener Friday.

Working on the mound at Target Field might bring back good memories for Walker, whose only previous start in Minnesota came July 31, 2015, when he threw a complete game, allowing just one hit and striking out 11. The M’s dropped the second game of a three game set with the Minnesota Twins by a final of 3-2.

Brandon Kintzler pitched the ninth for the Twins, collecting his 15th save after a scare when the first two Mariners reached base.

“They’re all important”, Mariners manager Scott Servais said. Cruz had four RBI’s in the game, including a two-run home run, in the Mariners’ 10-1 win. “I thought we had a chance there late, we just didn’t get it done”. “Not a sharp night all around; just not a lot going on offensively”.

Seth Smith entered the game to pinch hit for Cruz, who will be listed as day-to-day heading into the Mariners’ series with the Astros that begins Monday.

Cruz was removed from Sunday’s game against the Mariners in the top of the eighth inning with left wrist soreness, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reports. Duffey, who hadn’t collected a win in more than a month, threw 85 pitches and struck out four Mariners. As Seattle watched its seven-game road winning streak come to an end, the Twins (56-99) stopped their seven-game slide with the victory and temporarily avoided their first 100-loss season since 1982. Major League Baseball statcast measured the blast at 493 feet, the second longest this season behind Giancarlo Stanton’s blast of 505 feet.

But Seattle rallied for a 2-2 tie in the fourth.

The Twins retook the lead one pitch into the bottom of the inning.

“This is a moment when I see my team play hard and I play hard too”, said Twins slugger Miguel Sano, who blasted his 24th homer of the season on Saturday. Hector Santiago takes the hill, and he’s 12-9 with a 4.82 ERA and 137 strikeouts this season. Twenty-five years ago, the 1991 season was memorable for both the Twins and Mariners.