For seven innings, this looked like a comfortable Minnesota night. Then Colorado nearly made it something else entirely. The Twins survived a stunning eight-run rally by the Rockies over the final two innings of regulation, then ended it in the 10th when Royce Lewis singled to center to score Kyler Fedko, giving Minnesota a 9-8 walkoff victory at Target Field on Friday.
Taj Bradley was the story through the first seven innings. The right-hander worked 7.0 innings, allowing 2 runs on 3 hits with 7 strikeouts and 3 walks on 99 pitches, carrying a 3.98 ERA into the night. He also reached 500 career strikeouts in this game. Andrew Morris worked the 10th, allowing nothing, and picked up his third win of the season against two losses.
Minnesota built its lead methodically. Kody Clemens homered to right in the first, a 380-foot shot that scored Buxton and put the Twins up 2-0. Brooks Lee added a two-run homer to right in the second, scoring Lewis to make it 4-0. The fifth inning extended the cushion: Larnach scored on a Byron Buxton double, then Clemens and Buxton both scored on a Josh Bell double, pushing the lead to 7-0. It felt settled. It was not.
Colorado came alive in the eighth, scoring 3 runs. Tovar scored on a Moniak groundout, Julien scored on a Goodman sacrifice fly, and McCarthy scored on a Rumfield single to make it 3-7. The ninth was worse for Minnesota. Carrigg scored on a Julien double, then Jake McCarthy homered to right center — a 381-foot shot that scored Julien — to pull Colorado within 6-7. Hunter Goodman then hit a 451-foot homer to left, scoring Fulford, to give Colorado an 8-7 lead. The Rockies had gone from down seven to ahead by one. Buxton's single to left in the bottom of the ninth scored Austin Martin to tie it at 8-8, forcing extras. In the 10th, Lewis's single to center brought Fedko home with the winning run.
Tomoyuki Sugano lasted only 5.0 innings for Colorado, allowing 7 runs on 8 hits with 2 strikeouts. Jimmy Herget faced two batters in the 10th without recording an out, allowing 1 run — unearned — and took the loss, falling to 0-2 on the season.
Bradley's 500th career strikeout came in this game. Byron Buxton, who went 3-for-5 with 2 RBI, is 7 doubles away from 200 career doubles. Minnesota moved to 38-44, snapping a three-game losing streak. Colorado fell to 32-49.