Twins collect seven straight hits, seven runs in fourth to power win over Padres

Matt Wallner's 410-foot, three-run homer gave Minnesota an early 8-0 lead.

Minnesota Twins right fielder Matt Wallner (38) rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run against the San Diego Padres during the fourth inning at Petco Park in San Diego on Aug. 21, 2024. / Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

Seven straight hits in the fourth inning turned into seven runs for the Minnesota Twins in an 11-4 victory over the San Diego Padres in their series finale Wednesday night at Petco Park in San Diego. 

The fourth-inning run started with a one-out single from Edouard Julien, which Christian Vazquez followed up with his own single. Austin Martin scored them both with a double to left that made it 3-0.

Then Willi Castro doubled to score Martin, and Trevor Larnach hit a liner that went off Padres starter Matt Waldron’s glove, and he reached on the infield single. Royce Lewis singled the next at-bat to score Castro before Matt Wallner hit a 410-foot, three-run shot to right for an 8-0 Twins advantage.

Matt Wallner's 3-run tank makes it a 7-run 4th inning for the @Twins 😳 pic.twitter.com/0lHisJiFvR

— MLB (@MLB) August 21, 2024

That was more than enough of a cushion for Simeon Woods Richardson and company. 

Woods Richardson kept the Padres (72-56) off the scoreboard until the fifth inning when former Twin Donovan Solano hit a 391-foot solo homer to left-center field. That was Woods Richardson’s lone blemish as he allowed just three hits and the one run while fanning seven across five innings of work.

Woods Richardson improved to 5-3 on the season with the victory.

The Twins got 12 hits and 10 runs off Waldron, who also fanned three in 4 1/3 innings in the loss.

Cole Sands pitched a shutout sixth inning and Calelb Thielbar pitched a 1-2-3 seventh before the Padres were able to do some damage off recently called-up reliever Ronny Henriquez in the eighth. Henriquez gave up a one-out triple to Jake Cronenworth, which was followed up by an RBI single from Bryce Johnson the next at-bat. One out later, Jackson Merrill hit a 403-foot, three-run homer.

Henriquez got Luis Campusano to pop out to second the next at-bat to get out of the inning, and that was as close as the Padres would get. The Twins (71-56) got one run back in the ninth when Manny Margot's single scored Julien, who led off with a double, and Steven Okert pitched a 1-2-3 ninth.

The Twins struck first in the third inning when Castro drew a one-out walk, Larnach advanced him to third with a double to right and Lewis brought him home with a sacrifice fly to center field.

Martin hit a one-out RBI double in the fifth inning that scored Julien, who led off the frame with a single, and Larnach hit an RBI single that scored Martin that extended the Twins’ advantage to 10-0.

In all, the Twins collected a whopping 18 hits off Padres pitchers. Martin was 2 for 5 with two runs scored and three RBIs, Julien was 4 for 5 with a double and three runs scored and Larnach was 4 for 6 with two doubles, a run scored and an RBI. Castro and Jose Miranda each had a pair of hits, too.

The Twins were 7 for 14 with runners in scoring position.

The Twins have an off day on Thursday before they return home on Friday to begin a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals at Target Field. First pitch for the series opener is at 7:10 p.m.