MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — All-Star center fielder Byron Buxton hit for the cycle on his bobblehead day, completing it with a solo home run in the seventh inning, and the Minnesota Twins routed the Pittsburgh Pirates 12-4 on Saturday.
Buxton hit a single in the first inning, a triple in the second and a double in the third. He singled again in the fifth before stepping to the plate in the seventh for one more chance at the first cycle ever at Target Field, which opened in 2010.
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Minnesota Twins' Kody Clemens (18) runs the bases after hitting a 3-run home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Saturday, July 12, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Minnesota Twins' Ryan Jeffers (27) and Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Joey Bart (14) collide after Jeffers was tagged out at home during the second inning of a baseball game Saturday, July 12, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mike Burrows (53) walks back to the dugout during a pitching change in the second inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Saturday, July 12, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Minnesota Twins' Byron Buxton (25) runs the bases after hitting a solo home run for the cycle during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Saturday, July 12, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Facing Pirates reliever Andrew Heaney, Buxton hit a solo homer 427 feet to center field to complete the cycle — and send Target Field into a frenzy. His timing was perfect, too: Saturday's giveaway at the stadium was a Buxton bobblehead of his “Buck Truck” home run celebration.
Buxton's homer came two days before the Home Run Derby, in which he'll participate in his home state of Georgia at Truist Park in Atlanta.
Kody Clemens hit a three-run homer in the Twins' six-run second inning. Matt Wallner and Willi Castro each hit solo homers, with Castro's coming right after Buxton's momentous blast.
Cole Sands threw two hitless innings as Minnesota's opening pitcher. Reliever Travis Adams (1-0) gave up two hits and two runs — one unearned — in four innings to pick up his first career win in his second major league appearance.
Pirates starter Mike Burrows (1-3) recorded just four outs before he was lifted in his shortest start of the year.
Jack Suwinski homered for the Pirates, who lost their eighth straight game.
Buxton's cycle was the highlight of the game, but it was Clemens' blast that opened the floodgates in the Twins' six-run second inning.
Buxton became the 12th player in Twins history to hit for the cycle.
RHP Mitch Keller (3-10, 3.58 ERA) starts Pittsburgh's final game before the All-Star break. RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (5-4, 4.08) takes the mound Sunday for the Twins.
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Minnesota Twins' Kody Clemens (18) runs the bases after hitting a 3-run home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Saturday, July 12, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Minnesota Twins' Ryan Jeffers (27) and Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Joey Bart (14) collide after Jeffers was tagged out at home during the second inning of a baseball game Saturday, July 12, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mike Burrows (53) walks back to the dugout during a pitching change in the second inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Saturday, July 12, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Minnesota Twins' Byron Buxton (25) runs the bases after hitting a solo home run for the cycle during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Saturday, July 12, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
DEIR AL BALAH (AP) — Israeli strikes across Gaza have killed at least 13 people, according to health officials, as U.S. President Donald Trump was expected to announce his Board of Peace to oversee the fragile ceasefire.
Health officials and family members said at least one child was among the dead in northern Gaza following several strikes there as well as east of Gaza City.
Israel's army said Friday that it struck Hamas infrastructure and fighters in southern and northern Gaza in response to a failed projectile launched by militants from the Gaza City area.
The phased ceasefire between Israel and Hamas remains in its initial stage as efforts continue to recover the remains of the final Israeli hostage in Gaza.
Officials say that Trump is expected to announce next week his appointments to his Board of Peace, which he has said he will head, marking an important step forward for his Middle East peace plan. The process has moved slowly since a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect nearly three months ago.
The U.S. official and another official spoke on condition of anonymity pending a formal announcement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov would be the board's “designated” director-general. Mladenov is a former Bulgarian defense and foreign minister who served as the U.N. envoy to Iraq before being appointed as the U.N. Mideast peace envoy from 2015-2020. During that time, he had good working relations with Israel and frequently worked to ease Israel-Hamas tensions.
Under Trump’s plan, the board would supervise a new technocratic Palestinian government, the disarmament of Hamas, the deployment of an international security force, additional pullbacks of Israeli troops and reconstruction. The U.S. has reported little progress on any of these fronts so far.
On Thursday, Egyptian and European Union leaders met in Cairo and urged the deployment of the international stabilization force. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said that Hamas still refused to disarm and called the situation “extremely severe."
Israel and Hamas have accused each other of violating the ceasefire, which took effect on Oct. 10. Continued Israeli strikes in Gaza have killed more than 400 Palestinians, according to local health officials.
The Israeli military says any actions since the ceasefire began have been in response to violations of the agreement.
The strikes Thursday killed an 11-year-old girl who dreamed of becoming a doctor, a teenage girl and two boys in a tent camp, according to relatives and health officials. At least a dozen others were injured, hospital officials said.
Israel’s military said on Thursday that it wasn't aware of any strike-related casualties in northern Gaza’s Jabaliya area, where 11-year-old Hamsa Housou was killed, and didn't immediately comment on the other deaths that were reported that day.
Palestinians inspect the damage at a displacement camp following an Israeli strike in Gaza City, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
Palestinians inspect the damage at a displacement camp following an Israeli strike in Gaza City, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
Palestinians inspect damaged tents at a displacement camp following an Israeli strike in Gaza City, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
Palestinians inspect the damage at a displacement camp following an Israeli strike in Gaza City, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
Palestinians inspect the damage at a displacement camp following an Israeli strike in Gaza City, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
The bodies of Palestinians killed in an Israeli army strike are brought to the morgue at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, in the Gaza Strip, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
The bodies of Palestinians killed in an Israeli army strike are brought to the morgue at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, in the Gaza Strip, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Hamas militants search for the remains of Israeli hostage in Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
The body of 11-year-old Palestinian girl Hamsa Hosou, killed by Israeli fire in Jabalia, is brought to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
The body of 11-year-old Palestinian girl Hamsa Hosou, killed by Israeli fire in Jabalia, is brought to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
