MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Miguel Sanó hit a two-run homer in the 12th inning to lift Minnesota past Cincinnati 7-5 on Monday night — the fifth straight victory for the Twins and fifth loss in a row for the Reds.
With a five-man infield and a runner on third, Sanó hammered a 3-1 slider from Heath Hembree (1-3) over the wall in left-center. It was Minnesota’s fourth consecutive extra-innings win after eight straight losses in extras to start the season.
The game lasted 5:14 and ended 30 minutes past midnight, after beginning on a somber note with a remembrance of the late Mike Bell — the former Reds player and Twins coach who was the younger brother of Cincinnati manager David Bell and died of cancer earlier this year.
Matt Shoemaker (3-8), whose struggles as a starter prompted a recent demotion to the bullpen, pitched two hitless innings for the win. Shoemaker loaded the bases in the 12th after two walks, one intentional, but struck out Eugenio Suárez — who had a homer and three RBIs — to escape.
Luis Arraez had two RBIs for the Twins, who lost star center fielder Byron Buxton to another injury.
The late innings were quite the testament to endurance and resilience, with a bit of unstable relief pitching mixed in.
Sean Doolittle retired Andrelton Simmons on a flyout that required a long run by left fielder Tyler Naquin to end the 11th.
Nick Castellanos, in a 5-for-26 slide, gave the Reds the lead with a single in the 10th against Jorge Alcala for his first RBI in eight games. Suárez, who had an earlier two-run homer, added a sacrifice fly to turn the game over to Doolittle.
The left-hander gave up an RBI double to Arraez and a sacrifice fly to Trevor Larnach as the Twins sent a game to the 11th inning for the first time this season. They’re 3-8 in 10-inning games.
Taylor Rogers allowed two hits to Cincinnati in the ninth, but Jonathan India — who was picked off first base in the seventh — over-slid second as he went headfirst for a double and was tagged for the second out. Rogers struck out Jesse Winker to strand a runner at third.
Minnesota loaded the bases against Lucas Sims in the bottom of the inning, but he struck out Ryan Jeffers looking on a 96 mph full-count fastball that caught the lower outside corner. Sims then retired Simmons on a forceout.
IN MEMORY
The Twins held a pregame remembrance for Bell, their well-liked bench coach for the 2020 season who died at age 46 on March 26 of kidney cancer.
David Bell caught the ceremonial first pitch, which was delivered to the mound by Twins manager Rocco Baldelli, from Mike Bell’s widow, Kelly Bell. The couple’s three children and several other relatives were on the field for the occasion. The Twins presented the family a signed jersey and a $10,000 donation to a local organization, GiGi’s Playhouse, that works for Down syndrome advocacy and support. David Bell’s voice cracked as he addressed the crowd with appreciation.
“The Twins have been amazing. They’ve treated Mike and our family as family. They’ve been incredibly supportive,” David Bell told reporters before the game. “It’s a special night. It’s something that we’ve been looking forward to. I think it’s part of the process for our family.”
BACK TO BACK
Suárez and Aristides Aquino hit consecutive home runs in the fourth inning against J.A. Happ to bring the Reds back from a 3-0 hole that was started by Nelson Cruz’s homer. Happ is 1-3 with a 9.33 ERA over his last eight starts, with 58 hits and 11 home runs allowed in 36 2/3 innings.
HEADS-UP PLAY
Alex Kirilloff singled for the Twins in the eighth and simply ran to an empty second base — the rookie’s first career steal — while the Reds nonchalantly prepared for the next batter. The Twins wound up leaving the bases loaded to end that inning.
SUMMER CRUZ
Cruz has reached base at least once in all 16 games he’s appeared in this month, with six homers, 13 RBIs and 10 walks.
Reds starter Tyler Mahle labored through a 38-pitch second inning. Kirilloff’s RBI single and Arraez’s sacrifice fly followed Cruz’s homer. Larnach whiffed with the bases loaded to end the rally. He took three of the eight strikeouts by Mahle, who lasted only four innings.
BUXTON BRUISED
Buxton, who missed 40 games with a strained right hip before returning to action on Saturday, was bruised on the left hand in the fourth by a 94 mph fastball from Mahle. Buxton stayed in the game for another inning but grimaced after making a catch in center field to end the fifth and was pulled.
COME BACK REAL SOON
The Reds went 17 years without any trips to Minnesota in the scheduling quirk of all scheduling quirks, including the first eight seasons of Target Field’s existence. Now they’ve visited the Twins three times in four years.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Reds: RHP Tejay Antone (right forearm inflammation), the team’s top reliever, will be strongly considered for activation from the injured list on Tuesday.
Twins: 3B Josh Donaldson (right calf tightness) was out of the starting lineup for the fourth straight game due to a muscle that has dogged him for several years. Donaldson entered as a pinch-hitter in the eighth.
UP NEXT
Reds: LHP Wade Miley (6-4, 2.88 ERA) will take the mound on Tuesday afternoon. He has allowed two earned runs or fewer in 10 of his 12 turns this season.
Twins: RHP Bailey Ober (0-0, 3.71 ERA) will pitch to wrap up the two-game series. The rookie has made four starts, with 21 strikeouts in 17 innings and only two walks.