Braves outslug Twins again, 11-7; Albies still hot
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Twins have put on quite a power display this season at Target Field.
The Atlanta Braves produced an even bigger show of strength to win this interleague series between firstplace teams.
Ozzie Albies homered twice in his second straight four-hit game, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Freddie Freeman both went deep, and the Braves again bashed their way past the Twins 11-7 on Wednesday.
“They’re relentless. That’s a really good ballclub,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said, reflecting on the Twins and their majors-most 224 home runs that is well on pace to break the all-time season record. “You never feel good against this club until the game’s over.”
Max Fried (13-4) used a season-high 10 strikeouts to win his fourth consecutive start, pitching into the sixth inning before finding trouble. The terrific trio at the top of the lineup provided more than sufficient support, with Acuña, Albies and Freeman combining for eight hits and five RBIs in 15 at-bats. They were 23-for-45 with seven home runs and 15 RBIs in the three-game series.
Fried struck out seven of the first nine batters he faced. He’s 6-0 in his last nine starts on the road, becoming the first Braves left-hander to reach the 13-win mark since Mike Minor in 2013.
“When you already have a couple runs across, it makes it
easier to relax and try to make a few pitches,” catcher Tyler Flowers said.
Albies and Freeman each homered on the first pitch he faced from Martín Pérez in the first inning, just like Acuña and Freeman did in the first and third innings Tuesday night against Twins All-Star Jose Berrios. Charlie Culberson went 4-for5 with two RBIs, Johan Camargo drove in three runs, and the Braves reached double-digit runs and 16 hits for the second straight day. This was the fifth time in three weeks the Twins allowed 10-plus runs.
The total would’ve been higher had it not been for the triple play turned in the third inning by third baseman Miguel Sanó, second baseman Jonathan Schoop and first baseman C.J. Cron on a sharp grounder hit by Flowers. That was the second triple play the Twins handed Pérez this summer, this one coming with the bases loaded and three runs already in for the Braves to keep them from building on their 6-0 lead.
“It did buy us a little bit more time and some more pitches and some more innings,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said.
Sanó hit a three-run homer in a four-run ninth for the Twins, who now have five 20-home run hitters to take into their critical four-game series against Cleveland this weekend. The Indians won the first game of their doubleheader on Wednesday to trim the lead in the AL Central race to 2 1/2 games, entering the evening.
Albies and Freeman gave the Braves their 12th set of back-toback homers this season, a franchise record and the most in the majors in 2019. The top three spots in the lineup have produced 81 home runs this season, the most in the National League. Albies had his third multi-homer game of the year, but entering the game he had only one home run in his previous 114 at-bats.
“I’m just so proud of what he’s done this year and where he’s come, how much he’s grown and matured,” Snitker said.
Left-hander Dallas Kuechel (3-4, 3.86 ERA) will pitch tonight as the Braves begin a four-game series at Miami. Righty Elieser Hernández (1-4, 5.66) will start for the Marlins.