Solo Home Runs From Lewis, Lee power Twins to 9-8 Win Over Cardinals

Lewis hit his fifth home run of the season as he continued his strong play since returning to the Twins' lineup.

Jun 12, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins first baseman Royce Lewis (23) runs the bases on his solo home run against the St. Louis Cardinals in the eighth inning at Target Field. | Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

Royce Lewis and Brooks Lee each hit solo shots in the eighth inning at Target Field on Friday night to help the Twins win a topsy-turvy game over the Cardinals. Here's what you missed.

LET'S ROLLLLLLLLL ROYCE pic.twitter.com/OKlvRyD9o4

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) June 13, 2026

After giving up a trio of runs in the opening two innings, Twins star righty Joe Ryan stopped the bleeding and ended his 15th start of the season with eight recorded strikeouts in six innings of work.

Immediately after Ryan's night was up, the Twins' bullpen, once again, tried to derail the evening by giving up four runs in the seventh as the Cardinals recaptured the lead, and another in the eighth.

However the Twins bats were too resilient, bouncing back with homers from Lewis and Lee in the bottom of the eighth to secure a 9-8 win.

On the first pitch he saw Friday night, star center fielder Byron Buxton crushed a 425-foot solo homer to deep center, tying the game up after Alec Burleson's home run put the Cardinals on the board.

Cardinals third baseman Blaze Jordan's first career hit drove in a run in the top of the second on a single to center, with JJ Wetherholt extending the lead two batters later with an RBI single to right.

A rain delay briefly halted proceedings at Target Field in the fourth inning. Lewis singled to left to open up the bottom of the fifth for his first of two hits on the night. Three batters later, Tristan Gray drove in his 27th run of the season with a single through the middle of the infield as the Twins drew within one.

In the sixth, Josh Bell doubled to center, driving in Buxton to tie the game up at 3-3. Just three pitches later, Lewis connected on a sac-fly to center, driving in Kody Clemens as the Twins took the lead.

Then the bullpen happened.

Twins reliever Eric Orze gave up a four-pitch, bases loaded walk in the top of the seventh as the Cardinals tied the game back up. Orze then compounded the issues by giving up a three-run double to Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker as St. Louis took a 7-4 lead.

However, the Minnesota bats answered right back. With Buxton and Luke Keaschall on base, Clemens tied the game with a three-run homer to right field.

Jose Fermin drove in a run on an infield single in the top of the eighth to restore St. Louis' lead, but on the first pitch of the bottom of the eighth, Lewis crushed a 394-foot home run to the second level.

Two batters later, Brooks Lee hit his 11th home run of the season, this one traveling 382 feet into the deck in right field.

For the LEEd pic.twitter.com/e6VDcnm2yL

— Twins.TV (@twinstv) June 13, 2026

Twins reliever Andrew Morris got three-straight groundouts in nine pitches in the top of the ninth to close out the Twins' 32nd win of the season.

The Twins and Cardinals are back at it Saturday for Game 2 of the three-game weekend series at Target Field. First pitch is set for 1:10 p.m. CT, with Connor Prielipp set to take the mound for Minnesota and Matthew Liberatore for St. Louis.