Twins clobber Rockies 17-9 with season-high 24 hits as Correa gets career-high 5 hits

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Willi Castro and Royce Lewis homered and Carlos Correa had a career-best five hits for the Minnesota Twins, who met Colorado starter Austin Gomber with a five-run first inning and finished with a season-high 24 hits in a 17-9 victory over the Rockies on Wednesday.

Lewis, one of five Twins with three or more hits, went 3 for 5 and scored three times. Carlos Santana started the onslaught with a three-run double in the first and hit an RBI single in a seven-run eighth.

The Twins collected their most hits since setting the single-game club record with 28 on June 13, 2017.

“This is the type of day that I think a lot of guys remember," manager Rocco Baldelli said. "You had a lot of guys have a lot of highlight swings.”

Pablo López (6-6) picked up just his second win in six turns, permitting two runs in five innings — including Ryan McMahon hitting a solo homer for the second game in a row.

Lewis hit a two-run shot in the sixth inning for his fifth home run in nine games since returning from a severely strained quadriceps to give Twins a 10-3 lead, but then the rain came and their bullpen was ravaged by the Rockies.

After Brenton Doyle's two-run single in the seventh, the tarp was tugged out for a 37-minute delay. Caleb Thielbar — whose ERA spiked to 8.62 — teed up a three-run eighth with a walk, a double and a walk. The Twins summoned closer Jhoan Duran to finish the inning with the tying run at the plate.

“You really have to stay grounded and you have to stay steady in games like this,” Baldelli said. “That game got very tight, and I just like the way we just kept coming in every way, shape and form.”

Batting practice is rare for an afternoon start, but the Twins essentially staged a session during the game. They went 11 for 18 against Gomber (1-4), who failed to record an out in the fourth inning while allowing a season-high eight runs and 11 hits to match his career most.

The Twins (36-32) took two of three games from the Rockies and have won 11 of their last 15 series. The Rockies (24-44) have lost nine of their last 12 games, with a 9.17 ERA for the bullpen over the last 10.

Manuel Margot surprised the Rockies with a perfectly placed leadoff bunt up the third base line, and Gomber never recovered. The left-hander got ahead of Byron Buxton with an 0-2 count, before a bases-loaded single put the Twins on the board.

Santana followed with a drive off the 23-foot wall in right-center that cleared the bases. He scored on Kyle Farmer’s single, the sixth hit of the inning. In his last 10 games, Santana is 12 for 35 with 11 RBIs.

After posting an 0.68 ERA while logging 26 2/3 innings over four appearances last month, Gomber has gone backward in June. He has given up 15 runs on 22 hits and five walks over 11 innings in three starts after his turn was skipped due to elbow soreness.

“I feel the same I did a month ago,” Gomber said. “I'm just not making as good of pitches right now.”

López rebounded from the least effective start of what has been a rough season for the 2023 All-Star, who has been struggling to rediscover the dominance of his sweeper.

“It was a good series to get back on that feeling of like, ‘We’re here. We have all the pieces we need to play good baseball,'” López said.

UP NEXT

Rockies: After an off day on Thursday, RHP Ryan Feltner (1-5, 5.74 ERA) takes the mound on Friday night to begin a three-game series against Pittsburgh. The visiting Pirates had not yet announced their starter.

Twins: RHP Joe Ryan (4-5, 3.30 ERA) pitches on Thursday night to open a four-game series against Oakland. RHP Luis Medina (0-1, 5.23 ERA) starts for the Athletics.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Minnesota Twins' Christian Vázquez (8) celebrates after hitting a two-run double during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Austin Gomber, back, center, waits as pitching coach Darryl Scott, left, comes to the mound during the first inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, in Minneapolis. At right is catcher Jacob Stallings. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Pablo López delivers during the second inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Twins' Royce Lewis (23) celebrates after hitting a two-run home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies,Wednesday, June 12, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Twins' Carlos Santana, right, celebrates with third base coach Tommy Watkins after hitting a three-run double during the first inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Twins' Royce Lewis gestures after hitting a single during the first inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Twins' Royce Lewis (23) flips his bat after hitting a two-run home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Twins' Carlos Correa, center, celebrates after hitting a single during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Brice Turang homered off Tarik Skubal and Milwaukee’s bullpen shut down the Los Angeles Dodgers after Jacob Misiorowski’s taxing outing, sending the Brewers to a 2-1 victory in the NL Championship Series opener on Sunday night.

Luis Lara hit a tiebreaking single off Skubal in the fifth inning as Milwaukee took Game 1 in the first NLCS matchup of 100-win teams since the Cincinnati Reds eliminated the Philadelphia Phillies in 1976. The Brewers had dropped seven consecutive postseason games against the Dodgers, including a sweep in last year's NLCS.

Game 2 is on Monday in Milwaukee. Yoshinobu Yamamoto starts for the Dodgers, and Logan Henderson takes the mound for the Brewers.

Los Angeles, looking to become the first team to win three straight championships since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees, grounded into three double plays, stranded nine runners and went 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position, dropping to 2 for 22 in the playoffs.

The Dodgers chased Misiorowski, the favorite for the NL Cy Young Award, in the fifth inning, but they managed just two hits against four relievers.

DL Hall replaced Misiorowski with a runner aboard and got Freddie Freeman to ground into a double play, sending a charge through the rollicking crowd of 42,617. Abner Uribe allowed two hits in the sixth, then struck out Andy Pages with runners on the corners for the final out of the inning.

Aaron Ashby pitched two innings before Trevor Megill got three outs for the save. Kyle Tucker and pinch-hitter Josue De Paula walked with two down in the ninth before Mookie Betts flied to the center-field warning track.

The Brewers are among five current teams that have never won it all.

The Dodgers made Misiorowski throw 35 pitches in the second inning. Pages drove in Shohei Ohtani on a grounded single into right field, and Tucker loaded the bases when he reached on a 10-pitch walk that included four foul balls.

But Misiorowski limited the damage when he got Kiké Hernández to bounce into an inning-ending double play.

Turang responded with a leadoff drive into the home bullpen in the fourth. It was the second career postseason homer for Turang, who went 1 for 15 with six strikeouts in last year's NLCS.

Sticking with the same brand of baseball that resulted in the majors' best record this year, Milwaukee went ahead to stay in the fifth.

Garrett Mitchell reached on a leadoff walk and advanced on rookie Cooper Pratt's sacrifice bunt. Lara, another rookie, then grounded an RBI single into center field. The Brewers loaded the bases with two down, but Skubal escaped the jam when William Contreras flied to right.

Yamamoto is 8-1 with a 2.14 ERA in 11 postseason appearances. The Japanese right-hander pitched a three-hitter in a 5-1 victory at Milwaukee in Game 2 of last year's NLCS.

Henderson is making his second career postseason start. The right-hander tossed five-plus innings of two-run ball in Milwaukee's 4-3 win over San Diego in Game 2 of their NL Division Series. He went 2-0 with a 0.75 ERA in two starts against Los Angeles this season.

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy flips his bat after popping out during the ninth inning of Game 1 of baseball's National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers players watch during the ninth inning of Game 1 of baseball's National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Trevor Megill, left, and catcher William Contreras celebrate after Game 1 of baseball's National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Trevor Megill celebrates after Game 1 of baseball's National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Brice Turang and Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith watch his solo home run take flight during the fourth inning of Game 1 of baseball's National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)