Twins 12, Mariners 6 (10 Innings): Late-Inning Heroics Stun Mariners

Box Score
Zebby Matthews: 7 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
Home Runs: Trevor Larnach (8), Willi Castro 2 (3, 4), Carlos Correa (5)
Top 3 WPA: Trevor Larnach (.404), Carlos Correa (.304), Willi Castro (.165)
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)

Ah, the infamous West Coast trip. The great equalizer. Tales of the Pacific are often apocryphal, but there is indeed a sense that it offers a litmus test for a team’s gumption: exit with a few wins under your belt, and you’re probably fine; lose too many times, and the squad’s acumen is in question. 

Early reports did not favor the Twins. Zebby Matthews surrendered a leadoff infield hit and a line drive single from old friend Jorge Polanco. By themselves, these two outcomes would be problematic; exacerbated in this instance was the existence of Cal Raleigh, mean and homer-hungry, ready to step into the batter’s box. He needed just one pitch. A cutter. A bad one. So bad that Matthews shunned the offering for two innings. The home run was Raleigh’s 20th of the season 3-0 Mariners. 

But it got worse before it got better - or even before the inning ended. It was 4-0 Mariners when Randy Arozarena deposited a Matthews' fastball just beyond the left field wall 

For three innings, it seemed like Minnesota was better off ceding the game. Bryan Woo diced through the lineup with little resistance, as a Trevor Larnach single in the first stood as the only baserunner the team could muster off the righty. The rhythm was contagious. The outs were too easy. Twins hitters must have felt they were gripping sand instead of a bat.

Yet, action arose immediately, summoned by Larnach, who evidently finds Woo’s famous fastball rather ordinary: he smacked it into the right field seats on the first pitch of the at-bat. 

Ryan Jeffers felt inspired. He took a Woo sinker and drilled a double into the left-field corner; Brooks Lee ushered him home two batters later with an RBI groundout. Suddenly, the lead didn’t appear so great.

And, suddenly, Matthews was dealing. That disastrous first gave way to a successful second, which begat a clean third. Before long, the middle innings arrived to uneventful fanfare—excellent news for a pitcher. In fact, Matthews dominated the sixth so well that Rocco Baldelli sent his youngster out for one more frame. It worked. Two groundouts and a strikeout constituted the finality of the longest start of his MLB career.

While still in line for the loss, Matthews’ deficit was just one as he left, as Willi Castro hit a solo shot about half a foot far enough to elude Leody Tavares’ glove in right field in the top of the seventh. 

That's when the game ceased to be anything ordinary or easy to digest. **** got crazy. Cal Raleigh hit a two-run homer to give Seattle what must have felt like an indomitable lead: Seattle closer Andrés Muñoz had a 0.00 ERA, after all. Might as well turn the TV off. 

Well, the Twins were feeling spicy. Ty France singled, yet two strikeouts put Minnesota's WPA at 1.1%. Castro homered again.

That bumped odds to... 3.5%. Certainly possible; highly unlikely. Byron Buxton singled and stole second. That raised an eyebrow. And, somehow, Larnach scooped one of Muñoz's famous sliders, and drove the pitch into center, sending Buxton scampering home to tie the game.

Jhoan Duran worked a 1-2-3 ninth to send the game into extras. If the previous inning was wild ****, the 10th was the unhinged bananas that usually only exists on Comedy Central in the wee hours of the morning. It started when Carlos Correa stroked a two-run homer on the first pitch in extra innings. 

Then Brooks Lee singled. Then came two outs. Then. Then. Then. Four more runs. Varied in nature. Potent all the same. Buxton singled home two. Larnach—I mean, just build the statue already—brought in a pair as well. The lead swelled to six as Minnesota left the top of the 10th with an unthinkable 12-6 lead. At one point, they had two outs in the bottom of the ninth with just three runs. 

Brock Stewart closed out the Mariners in the 10th, not even allowing the ghost runner to score. Twins win. 

Notes:

Matthews' seven innings were an MLB career-high. His previous best was five.

The Twins are 20-7 when Jhoan Durán appears in a game in 2025. 

Willi Castro hit two homers in a game for the first time since May 27th, 2023.

Trevor Larnach accrued four hits in a game for the first time since August 21st, 2024.

Post-Game Interview:

Let's hear from Carlos:

What’s Next?
The Twins and Mariners match up for an evening Fox showcase, with first pitch set at a merciful 6:15 PM. Bailey Ober will start opposite Bryce Miller. 

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