MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Trevor Larnach homered with three RBIs after Simeon Woods Richardson started with five scoreless innings, and the Minnesota Twins beat the Seattle Mariners 10-1 on Thursday after a rain delay of 4 hours and 22 minutes.
Brooks Lee led off an eight-run sixth against reliever Zach Pop with a home run. Then came RBI doubles from Byron Buxton and Willi Castro, a two-run single by Carlos Correa and a two-run homer from Matt Wallner in the highest-scoring inning for the Twins since a nine-run outburst in the first at New York on April 13, 2023.
Woods Richardson (3-4) produced a superb follow-up to the six scoreless innings Joe Ryan threw in a 2-0 victory on Wednesday, helping the Twins (39-42) win consecutive games for the first time since taking three straight from June 3-5. They lost 15 of 18 after that.
Emerson Hancock (3-4) started with four scoreless innings for the Mariners before Larnach’s two-run shot in the fifth.
Mariners catcher Mitch Garver left in the fifth inning when Wallner fouled a ball off his mask, forcing star Cal Raleigh to finish behind the plate in forfeiture of the designated hitter.
Key moment
Woods Richardson bent low to snag a screaming line drive leading off the fourth, flashing a big smile back at an impressed Julio Rodriguez.
Key stat
The longest rain delay in Target Field’s 16 seasons lasted 4:50 on June 22, 2017, before the Twins lost 9-0 to Chicago.
Up next
Seattle starts a three-game series at Texas on Friday, the last stop on a 10-game road trip. Mariners RHP Logan Gilbert (2-2, 3.12 ERA pitches against Rangers RHP Nathan Eovaldi (4-3, 1.56).
The Twins start a three-game series at MLB-leading Detroit on Friday, considering an opener for RHP David Festa (1-2, 6.39) as they did during his last turn in the rotation. RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long (0-0, 4.58) will pitch for the Tigers.
Mariners’ Garver leaves game after foul ball off mask, forcing Raleigh to catch and forfeit DH
Seattle catcher Mitch Garver was removed from the game at Minnesota after a foul ball hit his mask in the fifth inning. That forced star Cal Raleigh to finish behind the plate and the Mariners to forfeit their designated hitter. Mariners right-hander Emerson Hancock threw a 94 mph fastball to start against Twins right fielder Matt Wallner. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound slugger knocked Garver’s mask off when he sharply fouled it off. The Mariners carefully examined Garver before deciding to pull him out. Garver missed time with a concussion after being hit by a foul ball in 2018 with the Twins.