Miguel Sanó launched a walk off homer in the bottom of the 12th in a 7-5 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night but it wasn’t without a price as Byron Buxton left the game with a fractured left hand.
Buxton was hit in the hand by a pitch from Reds starter Tyler Mahle in the fourth inning and stayed in the game initially. But The Twins replaced Buxton with Nick Gordon after he grimaced making a catch in the top of the sixth and X-rays revealed the fracture.
Buxton’s latest injury is another frustrating chapter for Twins fans. The 27-year-old was activated off the injured list on Saturday after missing 40 games with a hip injury and entered Monday’s game hitting .369 with 10 homers and 19 RBI.
The injury overshadowed a dramatic win for the Twins as they extended their winning streak to five games. Nelson Cruz got the Twins on the board in the bottom of the second with his 16th home run of the season to put Minnesota ahead 1-0.
No. 16 for Nelly!! 💣@Twins | #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/aHkQf2coHC
— FanDuel Sports Network North (@FanDuelSN_NOR) June 22, 2021
An RBI single by Alex Kirilloff and a sacrifice fly from Luis Arráez gave the Twins a 3-0 lead but it didn’t last long with J.A. Happ on the mound. The left-hander struggled with his control, issuing five walks in 4.2 innings and allowed back-to-back home runs to Eugenio Suárez and Aristides Aquino in the fourth to tie the game at 3-3.
The game evolved into a battle of the bullpens as the game headed into extra innings. After the Reds scored a pair of runs in the top of the 10th, the Twins answered with an Arráez double in the bottom of the 10th and a sacrifice fly from Trevor Larnach to tie the game at 5-5.
With the game still tied in the bottom of the 12th, Sanó sent everyone home with a two-run blast into the bullpen to give Minnesota the 7-5 victory.
FIVE IN A ROW!!!!!
SANÓ SAID THAT'S ENOUGH pic.twitter.com/5XZP4xJRlh
— FanDuel Sports Network North (@FanDuelSN_NOR) June 22, 2021
The Twins will have a quick turnaround as they go for the two-game sweep over the Reds on Tuesday afternoon. Minnesota will send Bailey Ober (0-0, 3.71 ERA) to the mound against Wade Miley (6-4, 2.88 ERA) for a 12:10 p.m. first pitch.
