Braves explode for five runs in eighth inning, come back to beat Twins

Drake Baldwin’s two-run, pinch-hit single in the eighth proved to be the difference.

“Especially to get a win out of that game, especially being down 4-0 early, going in that moment with a chance to take the lead and coming through — first time I’ve done it in my big-league career,” the 24-year-old Braves catcher said. “Had a good at-bat and it felt really good.”

Braves (6-13) had just four hits going into the eighth inning, but strung together four in that frame alone after a one-out walk. The five runs completed a 4-0 comeback and gave the Braves their ninth consecutive triumph over the Twins (7-13) since 2019.

The two teams are scheduled to meet again at 7:15 p.m. Saturday.

“This felt more like the Braves here tonight,” manager Brian Snitker said. “That was a good one to win because we were kinda laying dead in the weeds there for a while. It was good how the guys kept fighting back, had some really, really good at-bats against a really good reliever. We should be very encouraged by what went down tonight.”

The Braves’ late rally started with one out against Twins reliever Griffin Jax (0-2). A walk by Marcel Ozuna preceded a single into the right field corner off the bat of Matt Olson. Ozzie Albies legged out an infield single to the left of first base to plate Ozuna, who had scurried to third on Olson’s hit, making the score 4-2.

Sean Murphy drew a six-pitch walk forcing Minnesota to lift Jax and call on Cole Sands. Michael Harris whipped the second pitch from Sands into right to tie the game at 4-all.

Harris had seen Sands once before, flying out to centerfield during an 8-6 Braves win Aug. 27 in Minneapolis.

“Coming into that situation, bases loaded, I had all the confidence in the world just knowing what pitcher was coming up, his tendencies and what he likes to throw,” Harris said. “Was basically just ready for it.”

Harris stole second on the first Sands pitch to Baldwin. Baldwin then drove a two-run single up the middle past a drawn-in infield giving the Braves the lead for good.

“After (Harris) stole second base there, I thought there was a chance they would pitch around me, just with an open base there,” Baldwin said. “But I was just kind of looking for a pitch to drive, trying to be really selective there and got a pitch that stood up in the zone a little bit and put a good swing on it.”

Raiesel Iglesias threw a 1-2-3 ninth for his third save of the season. The Braves’ bullpen logged four innings of scoreless ball with Aaron Bummer, Enyel De Los Santos (1-0) and Iglesias, respectively, all getting the job done.

The ending for the home team Friday a was far better one than its beginning.

Carlos Correa ripped a double off third baseman Austin Riley’s glove to start the Twins’ second against Braves starter Bryce Elder. Ryan Jeffers came up and, on a 0-2 pitch, ripped a double down the left field line putting the Twins ahead 1-0. Designated hitter Luke Keaschall, making his MLB debut, poked a single over the head of Olson at first to score Jeffers making it 2-0.

With two outs in the third, Trevor Larnach took an Elder changeup and lined a two-out homer into the Chop House seats in right. It was Larnach’s first homer of the season and first since Sept. 2.

A walk and a Keaschall double down the third base line put runners at second and third with no one out in the fourth. Edouard Julien’s sacrifice fly to center scored Lee and made it 4-0.

Making his third start of the season, the righty Elder got two outs on two pitches to start the night — then things went downhill. Elder was lifted after five innings having allowed four earned runs on six hits and three walks. He threw 91 pitches and didn’t have a 1-2-3 inning.

Minnesota starter Chris Paddack came into the day with a 9.49 ERA over three starts this season but had held the Braves hitless until an Albies infield single with two outs in the fourth.

Paddack gave up his first run of the night when nine-hole hitter Jarred Kelenic planted a 0-1 changeup into the Braves bullpen in right. That would be all the damage the Braves could do against the right-hander who left after five innings and 88 pitches while striking out six.

But once Minnesota went to the bullpen, the Braves began to finally put together productive at-bats and the flood gates finally opened in the eighth.

“It’s been a little tough for us this year because, I guess, everybody has tried to be the hero in certain situations. Today, we weren’t doing that, we were just trying to get the next man on, get him over,” Harris said. “That was a huge walk right there by (Murphy) to get on there, put pressure on them to change pitchers. (Sands) made mistakes and we put up some more runs. It took the whole team that inning, and I felt like we were all working together.”