Trevor Larnach takes Sonny Gray deep twice as Twins top Cardinals

Larnach hit a three-run homer in the third inning and a 419-foot solo shot in the fifth.

Minnesota Twins left fielder Trevor Larnach (9) celebrates his three-run home run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the third inning at Target Field in Minneapolis on Aug. 24, 2024. / Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

Entering Saturday night’s game, Twins left fielder Trevor Larnach had never hit multiple home runs in a major league game. Perhaps he was waiting to do it against a former teammate. 

Larnach took former Twin Sonny Gray deep twice, including a three-run shot in the third inning, as the Twins beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-0 in front of an announced crowd of 35,183 at Target Field on a perfect Saturday night in downtown Minneapolis. 

Larnach was 3 for 4 overall with the two homers and four RBIs. His 384-foot, three-run shot in the third plated the first runs of the game for the Twins (72-57), who got four runs in all in the frame as Max Kepler plated a run when he grounded into a fielder’s choice later in the inning. 

We could watch that swing by Trevor for forever! pic.twitter.com/84Ipc7sqhm

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) August 24, 2024

Larnach hit a 419-foot solo bomb in the fifth inning to give Minnesota a 5-0 advantage. 

Wow! If I had a nickel for every time Trevor Larnach hit a home run tonight... I'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot but it's great that it happened twice, right? pic.twitter.com/7wBcF6EeaN

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) August 25, 2024

The Cardinals (64-65) gave themselves chances to plate runs off Twins starter Pablo Lopez, but on each occasion, Lopez was able to get himself out of the jam. Lopez gave up just four hits and no runs in all while fanning nine across his seven innings of work while improving to 12-8 with the victory. 

It continues a trend of stellar showings for Lopez in August. It's the third straight start in which Lopez has gone at least six innings, and with Saturday's shutout, his ERA is down to 2.63 this month.

With one out in the second inning, Nolan Arenado singled and was advanced to third the next at-bat on Lars Nootbaar’s double. But Lopez struck out Paul Goldschmidt and Pedro Pages to end the threat and get out of the inning unscathed. Lopez continued to keep St. Louis at bay the rest of the way.

Victor Scott II led off the third inning with a double, and Masyn Winn sacrifice bunted to advance him to third base, but Christian Vazquez later picked off Scott at third and Lopez struck out Alec Burleson.

Vázquez says you're out pic.twitter.com/V55joiOr1I

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) August 24, 2024

Lopez gave up a leadoff double to Goldschmidt in the fifth inning and walked Scott after getting Pages to ground out. But Lopez struck out Winn and Burleson to end another St. Louis threat. 

The Cardinals went 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position overall. 

Gray got off to a stellar start for the Cardinals, striking out the side on 10 pitches in the first inning and pitching a clean second save for walking Jose Miranda. Gray ended his day with a 1-2-3 sixth.

Gray gave up seven hits and five runs in all while fanning seven across six, falling to 11-9 with the loss.

Matt Wallner hit a leadoff, 430-foot bomb in the eighth inning to extend the Twins' lead to 6-0.

Griffin Jax fanned a pair in a scoreless eighth inning, and Jhoan Duran struck out two in a shutout ninth inning to put a stamp on an important Twins victory as they look to keep pace in an extremely competitive American League Central division race that could go down to the wire.

The Twins and Cardinals meet for the finale of their three-game series at 1:10 p.m. on Sunday.