Twins defeat Dodgers thanks to two home runs from Edouard Julien.
For Twins second baseman Edouard Julien, the start to the day couldn’t have been more perfect.
In the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday afternoon, Julien opened with his third leadoff home run of the young career. Later in the game, in the fifth inning, he helped the Twins win two games.
a 3-2 victory over the Dodgers in front of an announced 18,640 spectators at Target Field in Minneapolis, snapping a four-game losing streak and a 0-for-33 slump with runners in scoring position.
Julien went 0 for 5 in the two games prior in the series against the Dodgers (10-5), and it was his first multi-homer game of the season.
I felt like I was in the bottom half of the pitch, and there were, I believe, a handful who were pitching me effectively.
According to Julien, I knew that at some point they would make a mistake and that I could take advantage of the count being early to get a fastball to hit. That’s exactly what I did today, getting a couple to hit, and I made use of it.
After Dodgers right fielder Teoscar Hernandez drove in the opening run with an RBI double in the top of the first inning, Julien’s home run tied the score at one. The Twins (4-6) were eventually going to get hits, and they did so on Wednesday.
Alex Kirilloff grounded into a 3-6-3 double play after Carlos Correa quickly followed Julien’s home run with a single, and Byron Buxton struck out to close the inning.
However, it was Buxton who would eventually end the Twins’ 0-for-33 skid in the third inning with runners in scoring position—a run that he claimed the team was oblivious to—with an RBI single to left field that brought Julien, who had singled in his second at-bat of the game, home. The Twins now lead 2-1 as a result.
Correa went 2 for 4 on Wednesday and singled in the frame as well.
According to Buxton, teammates must support one another throughout the season to help each other avoid those difficult periods of time because they are difficult to forget.
According to Buxton, it needs mental support from one another to ensure that you avoid taking those dark paths and digging yourself bigger holes.
We ensure that, regardless of how you are feeling or the outcome, you are in a positive state before you leave so that, upon your return, you are striving to improve.
Max Muncy, who had a great day on the mound, allowing just the two runs off of six hits and striking out five in 4 2/3 innings of work, knotted the game again with a solo home run in the fourth inning off Twins starter Chris Paddack.Conversely, Julien promptly restored the Twins’ lead with a home run in the fifth inning against Dodgers reliever Alex Vesia, who was given the loss.
In the eighth inning, the Dodgers came very close to tying the score again. Right fielder Freddie Freeman singled far, but Kirilloff swiftly flipped it to Correa.
who hit Christian Vazquez with a 92 mph pitch. Vazquez then tagged out Shohei Ohtani, who was trying to get home, to keep the Twins ahead 3-2.
Ohtani was first deemed safe on the field, but the tag came just in time. Following evaluation, that was changed.
We knew we had to be flawless because of his speed around the bases, Correa added. And all it took for us to grab him was a flawless play.
The Twins bullpen came together to help Minnesota win the game in the end. The five pitchers—Kody Funderburk, Jorge Alcala, Brock Stewart, Griffin Jax, and Steven Okert—collected six strikeouts in the final 5 1/3 innings while giving up just three hits and no runs.
While pitching the ninth inning, Okert earned his first save of the season.
that feels fantastic to finally have a save opportunity, considering that was really the only one I ever had throughout my first year of college, Okert remarked.
In the ninth inning, Julien came dangerously close to turning a double play that would have finished the game. After Austin Barnes grounded to second, Julien tried to beat Barnes out at first but was tagged out by Taylor Trammell.
After a video review, Barnes was included after initially being excluded.
Julien remarked, “I didn’t know if I had him, but I thought I was fairly close. I think the review destroys the entire thing, so I simply detest it now.
