Gilberto Celestino drew a four-pitch walk with one out in the 10th inning and the host Minnesota Twins beat the San Francisco Giants 3-2 on Saturday night.
Nick Gordon started the rally off Dominic Leone (4-5) with a sacrifice bunt that moved automatic runner Caleb Hamilton to third. After Gio Urshela walked, Max Kepler was walked intentionally, but San Francisco’s strategy backfired when Celestino looked at four straight out of the strike zone.
After a 51-minute rain delay after the seventh, Minnesota won its second straight following a six-game losing streak by pulling off a comeback in the ninth against Camilo Doval, who blew his third save.
Max Kepler led off the ninth with a walk and Luis Arraez drew a two-out walk. Carlos Correa, who had four hits, delivered an RBI single to get Minnesota within 2-1. Two pitches later, Jake Cave hit a tying single to left, and the game reached the 10th when Jose Miranda grounded out.
San Francisco lost for the seventh time in nine games and scored its runs on sacrifice flies by Tommy La Stella in the fifth and Austin Slater in the ninth.
Joey Bart’s double in the fifth preceded La Stella’s sacrifice fly and was San Francisco’s lone hit until it loaded the bases in the ninth on three singles.
Jhoan Duran (2-3) struck out Evan Longoria to end the 10th to set up the Twins’ walkoff.
San Francisco starter Alex Cobb dodged trouble and allowed four hits in five scoreless innings. He struck out seven. John Brebbia put two on in the eighth before Doval tried for a four-out save.
Minnesota’s Sonny Gray allowed Bart’s double as the only hit in five innings of one-run ball. He struck out four, walked four and threw 90 pitches.
After Bart’s double put runners at second and third, La Stella lifted a sacrifice fly for a 1-0 lead.
The Twins lost second baseman Jorge Polanco after the sixth inning to left patellar tendonitis.
–Field Level Media
