The lead changed hands four times before Ryan Kreidler settled it. His solo home run to center field — 421 feet — broke a 2-2 tie in the seventh inning and gave Minnesota the margin it needed in a 3-2 win over Colorado at Target Field on Sunday.
Connor Prielipp was the story through six innings. The Minnesota right-hander allowed 2 runs on 6 hits, walked none, and struck out 10 on 93 pitches, carrying a 4.96 ERA into the start. Most nights, that kind of performance wins the game outright. Sunday, it took until the seventh. Andrew Morris followed with 1.1 scoreless innings, striking out 2, and earned the win to improve to 4-2. Yoendrys Gomez worked a clean ninth for his eighth save of the season.
Colorado struck first. In the top of the first, Willi Castro scored when TJ Rumfield reached on an infield single to third, giving the Rockies a 1-0 lead. Minnesota answered in the second when Royce Lewis scored on a throwing error by third baseman Kyle Karros, as Brooks Lee reached on an infield single, tying the game at 1-1. Kody Clemens put the Twins ahead with a solo home run to right — 399 feet — in the fourth, but Colorado pulled even again in the sixth when Rumfield scored on a single by Troy Johnston. Then came Kreidler's blast, the go-ahead shot that held.
Ryan Feltner kept Minnesota in check through six innings, allowing 2 runs — 1 earned — on 5 hits with no walks and no strikeouts on 82 pitches. The Rockies' bullpen could not protect the tie. Seth Halvorsen allowed 3 hits and 1 run in two-thirds of an inning, taking his first loss of the season.
Minnesota improved to 39-44, snapping a one-game losing streak. Colorado fell to 32-50, dropping their second straight.