Twins Dominate Rockies, Avoid Series Sweep with 7-1 Win

Royce Lewis showcased his power at the plate, launching two home runs in a standout performance that marked his first career multihomer game. Meanwhile, Joe Ryan delivered a stellar pitching display, striking out 11 batters over seven innings as the Minnesota Twins triumphed over the Colorado Rockies 7-1 on Sunday, successfully avoiding a three-game sweep.

Ryan, fresh off his inaugural All-Star appearance, improved his record to 10-4. He allowed just one run and five hits while issuing no walks. His recent outing included a scoreless fourth inning during the All-Star Game held in Atlanta last Tuesday, where he recorded two strikeouts.

In relief, both Griffin Jax and Jhoan Duran contributed to the Twins' success by throwing a scoreless inning each, further solidifying the team's defensive efforts.

Offensively, Matt Wallner ignited the scoring with a two-run homer against Rockies starter Germán Márquez, who fell to 3-11. Harrison Bader also added to the Twins' tally with a solo shot. In the ninth inning, Willi Castro tripled and capitalized on a throwing error by shortstop Orlando Arcia, extending the lead to 7-1.

For Colorado, Mickey Moniak provided a bright spot with a home run in the third inning. Teammates Jordan Beck and Ryan McMahon each contributed two hits, but it wasn't enough to overcome Minnesota's offensive onslaught.

Earlier in the game, Castro drew a leadoff walk, advanced to second on Carlos Correa's groundout, and scored on Kody Clemens' triple before Wallner's homer pushed the Twins ahead 3-1 in the third inning.

The Twins amassed a total of 12 hits, with six being extra-base hits, while their pitchers combined for an impressive 13 strikeouts throughout the game.

Looking ahead, the Twins have yet to announce their starting pitcher for Monday's matchup against Shohei Ohtani (0-0, 1.00 ERA) and the Dodgers in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, the Rockies are set to begin a three-game series against St. Louis.