Twins pitchers blow it as bats stay quiet in loss to Giants
The Minnesota Twins lost for the first time this season when leading by three or more runs, falling to the San Francisco Giants 4-3 Tuesday night in Minneapolis. Before Tuesday night, Minnesota was 16-0 when leading by three-plus runs.
Minnesota built a 3-0 lead on home runs by Byron Buxton and Michael A. Taylor in the first and fifth innings, but Sonny Gray lost his touch in the sixth inning and the bullpen didn't do him any favors as they blew the lead as the bats went silent with just one hit – a single by Christian Vazquez in the seventh – in the final four innings.
It's the Twins' fifth loss in six games, dropping them to one game over .500 at 25-24.
The big blow came off Jorge Lopez in the seventh inning as Michael Conforto hit a two-run homer to put the Giants on top 4-3. The ball barely cleared the wall in left-center field.
Lopez didn't allow a run in April but has struggled in May, giving up seven runs (six earned) in 10 innings.
Gray held the Giants scoreless through five innings and then lost his touch in the sixth, walking the leadoff batter, giving up a hard double into the left-center gap and then walking Mitch Haniger to load the bases.
Gray was replaced by left-hander Jovani Moran, who got the first two batters he faced and was one out away from leaving the bases loaded when he walked in a run, cutting Minnesota's lead to 3-1. Brock Stewart replaced Moran and walked in another run before striking out Lamonte Wade Jr. to end the inning with the Twins still on top 3-2.
Gray started the night with an MLB-best 1.64 ERA and left with a 1.82 ERA, having been charged for two runs on six hits and two walks. He struck out six.
Buxton got the scoring started with a two-run homer into the bullpen in the first inning. It was Buxton's 10th homer of the season, putting him one behind Joey Gallo for the team lead.
Taylor ripped a homer into the first row in left field in the bottom of the fifth – his sixth of the season – to put Minnesota ahead 3-0 before Twins pitching imploded in the sixth and seventh innings.
The Giants go for the sweep of the Twins Wednesday at 12:10 p.m.
