Twins snap a three-game skid with 8-3 win over Miami and send the Marlins to their 100th loss

Minnesota's Manuel Margot scored from second base during a five-run seventh inning, capitalizing on one of four errors committed by Miami, leading the Twins to an 8-3 victory over the Marlins on Wednesday night.

In the seventh inning, Christian Vázquez executed a sacrifice bunt that was thrown inaccurately to first base, allowing Margot to cross home plate. Following this, Carlos Correa contributed with an RBI double that brought Vázquez home, and Carlos Santana further extended the lead with a three-run double. This victory marked the end of a three-game losing streak for Minnesota and resulted in Miami's 100th loss of the season, a milestone that has occurred only four times in the franchise's history.

The Twins maintained their aspirations for a playoff spot, now sitting two games behind Detroit in the competition for the American League's final wild card, with only four games remaining. On the same day, Detroit, Kansas City (which currently holds the second wild card), and Seattle, who trails Minnesota by half a game, all secured victories.

The need for a comeback was prompted by another brief outing from Minnesota rookie Simeon Woods Richardson. Jake Burger launched a three-run homer for the Marlins just three batters into the game, with Miami's first five hitters successfully reaching base in the opening inning.

"There’s a strong sense of determination within the team," remarked Twins manager Rocco Baldelli. "The players remained focused despite being down early, which is a significant challenge. We often downplay how difficult it is, but it truly is. However, our ability to refocus on our objectives was commendable."

Griffin Jax (5-5) contributed 1 1/3 innings of relief and secured the victory for Minnesota. The Twins' bullpen collectively pitched eight innings, yielding five hits and issuing no walks.

In the seventh inning, Marlins right-hander Declan Cronin permitted the inherited runner to score after Brooks Lee hit a double off the right-field wall against Michael Peterson (3-1). Peterson allowed one run over one-plus innings, while Cronin gave up four unearned runs.

Woods Richardson concluded his first full season in the major leagues with a record of 5-5 and an ERA of 4.17. He posted a 3-1 record with a 3.51 ERA in the first half of the season, but his performance declined to a 5.23 ERA in the latter half.

“Baseball happened,” Woods Richardson remarked regarding his start. “However, the bullpen delivered scoreless innings. We achieved a significant team victory. We maintained our determination throughout the game. Every pitch, every out, and every quality at-bat demonstrated our resilience.”

Byron Buxton hit a home run for the Twins, ending a stretch of 67 consecutive innings without a home run for the team. Minnesota had not hit a home run since Willi Castro's shot in the eighth inning against Cleveland on October 17.

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

Edward Cabrera allowed three runs in five innings during his start for Miami. The 26-year-old right-hander was coming off a challenging outing in which he allowed seven runs against the Los Angeles Dodgers, yet he maintained a 3.71 ERA over his previous 12 starts since the All-Star break.