Edouard Julien hits two homers to lift Twins past Dodgers

Minnesota snapped a four-game skid with the victory.

Minnesota Twins Edouard Julien (47) runs the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning at Target Field in Minneapolis on April 10, 2024. / Matt Krohn / USA TODAY Sports

The day couldn't have started much better for Twins second baseman Edouard Julien.

Julien hit the third leadoff home run of his young career to open Wednesday afternoon's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, then he hit his third home run of the season in the fifth inning as he helped the Twins end a pair of skids — a four-game losing streak and an 0-for-33 drought with runners in scoring position — in a 3-2 victory over the Dodgers in front of an announced crowd of 18,640 at Target Field in Minneapolis.

It was Julien's first career multi-homer game, and it came after he went 0 for 5 in the previous to games in the series against the Dodgers (10-5).

"I wasn't feeling that far off — I think a couple, they were pitching me well, they were pitching me at the bottom. I knew at one point they were going to make a mistake and I could take advantage of count being early and I would get a fastball to hit, and that's what I did today and I got a couple ones to hit and I took advantage," Julien said.

The hits were eventually going to come for Julien and the Twins (4-6), and they did right away on Wednesday, starting with Julien's homer that tied the game at 1-1 after Dodgers right fielder Teoscar Hernandez pushed the first run across with an RBI double in the top of the first.

Carlos Correa immediately followed Julien’s homer with a single, but Alex Kirilloff grounded into 3-6-3 double play and Byron Buxton struck out to end the inning. 

But Buxton would later be the one to snap the Twins’ 0-for-33 stretch with runners in scoring position, a drought Buxton said the team wasn't paying attention to, with an RBI single to left field in the third inning that scored Julien, who singled in his second at-bat of the day. That gave the Twins a 2-1 lead.

Correa also singled in the frame and went 2 for 4 on Wednesday. 

Buxton said it's not easy to put those tough stretches out of mind, and it's something they as teammates have to help each other avoid throughout the season.

"It takes each other mentally to make sure that you don't go down those dark roads and get yourself in deeper trenches," Buxton said. "We make sure that no matter how you feel or how the outcome was, make sure that before you leave here you're in that positive state, so when you come back, it's trying to make yourself better."

Max Muncy tied the game back up with a solo home run in the fourth inning off of Twins starter Chris Paddack, who had a solid day on the mound, allowing just the two runs off six hits while striking out five in 4 2/3 innings of work. Julien, meanwhile, quickly put the Twins back on top with his fifth-inning homer off of Dodgers reliever Alex Vesia, who took the loss.

The Dodgers nearly knotted things back up in the seventh inning. Freddie Freeman doubled deep to right field, but Kirilloff quickly turned it to Correa, who delivered a 92 mph throw to Christian Vazquez, who tagged out Shohei Ohtani attempting to come home, preserving the Twins' 3-2 advantage.

The tag was well in time, but Ohtani was initially ruled safe on the field. That was reversed after review.

"With his speed around the bases, we knew we had to be perfect," Correa said. "And it only took a perfect play in order for us to get him.” 

A collective effort from the Twins bullpen helped Minnesota close out the game. Over the last 5 1/3 innings, the quintet of Kody Funderburk, Jorge Alcala, Brock Stewart, Griffin Jax and Steven Okert allowed just three hits and no runs while combining for six strikeouts.

Okert pitched the ninth inning and picked up his first career save in the process.

“Really the only save opportunity I ever had was in 2016 my first year, so to finally get one, it feels good," Okert said.

Julien nearly turned a double play in the ninth inning that would have ended the game. Austin Barnes grounded to second, where Julien tagged the base to get out Taylor Trammell before attempting to beat out Barnes at first. Barnes was initially ruled out, but that was reversed after video review.

“I thought I was pretty close, but I didn’t know if I had him," Julien said. "I just hate the review now, ruins the whole thing right?” 

Well, not quite. The Twins batted .500 Wednesday on video reviews.