Joey Gallo homers twice, Pablo López throws 6 shutout innings in Twins' 8-1 win over Phillies
AARON BRACY - Joey Gallo had two homers among his four hits and drove in four runs, Pablo López struck out seven in six shutout innings and the Minnesota Twins snapped a four-game losing streak with an 8-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday night.
"It was crucial," López said. "We definitely needed it as a team. Very important to show up today."
Carlos Correa and Matt Wallner also went deep for AL Central-leading Minnesota. Gallo also singled twice and walked.
"Really good day," Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli said.
Trea Turner had three hits for defending NL champion Philadelphia, which entered the night holding the league’s top wild-card spot.
Bryce Harper returned to the lineup for Philadelphia after sitting out the Phillies' 13-2 win Friday night with mid-back spasms. The two-time NL MVP doubled.
Lopez (8-6) set a career high for strikeouts in a season when he fanned Harper to end the first.
"Everything he did impressed me," Baldelli said.
The right-hander now has fanned 180 batters this season.
"It's fun," he said of the strikeouts. "You have to take them where they come. It's hard to look for them."
Gallo drove the first of his two homers 387 feet to the opposite field in left off Taijuan Walker (13-5) to give Minnesota a 3-0 lead in the third. He pulled the ball 412 feet into the second deck in right off reliever Yunior Marte in the Twins’ five-run seventh that put them up 8-0.
"Just trying to work and have good at-bats," Gallo said. "Sometimes things go your way, click and come together for you."
Walker was trying to become the first pitcher in the majors to reach 14 victories, but command issues and lower-than-normal velocity hampered him. The right-hander walked a season-high six and hit a batter in five innings.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson said he would skip Walker's next scheduled start to give him some extra rest.
"Control is off, command is off, velocity is down," Thomson said. "So I think it’s time to just give him a little breather."
Philadelphia broke up the shutout on Rodolfo Castro’s RBI groundout off Griffin Jax in the seventh.
LATE START
The start of the game was delayed 49 minutes by rain and a pregame ceremony during which the Phillies inducted former general manager John Quinn and former owner Ruly Carpenter into the club’s wall of fame. Hall of Fame third baseman Scott Rolen also was an inductee, but wasn’t present and will be honored again on Sept. 22.
STILL STREAKING — PART I
Philadelphia’s Nick Castellanos extended his hitting streak to 13 consecutive games with a fourth-inning single.
STILL STREAKING — PART II
Since receiving a standing ovation on Aug. 4 from Phillies fans to help him out of his slump, Turner is batting .457 with six doubles, two homers and 10 RBIs.
STREAK SNAPPED
Philadelphia had homered in every game this month before failing to go deep Saturday.
TAYLOR TERRIFIC
After making stellar diving catches on Friday, Twins CF Michael A. Taylor made another terrific diving grab Saturday when he robbed Castellanos of an RBI hit by laying out to his right to snare a sixth-inning liner.
"Probably the play of the game," Baldelli said.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Twins: Lopez took a liner from Alec Bohm off the inside of his left leg in the first inning, but stayed in the game. He had a large bruise. ... Max Kepler fouled a ball off his foot in the eighth before striking out. ... 3B Willi Castro was in the original lineup, but scratched due to back tightness. Castro said he first felt back discomfort during his second at-bat on Friday night. He is day to day.
Phillies: OF Kyle Schwarber was back in the lineup in his customary leadoff spot after leaving in the seventh inning of Philadelphia’s 13-2 win over Minnesota on Friday after fouling the ball off his left foot. He went 0 for 5 with two strikeouts and walk. ... Harper left Thursday’s game against Washington in the top of the fifth inning with spasms that were unrelated to back pain that kept him out of games in 2021.
UP NEXT
Twins RHP Sonny Gray (5-5, 3.18) opposes Philadelphia LHP Ranger Suárez (2-5, 3.96) when the teams conclude their three-game series Sunday.