Friedl and Martinez lead Reds to 11-1 rout of struggling Twins
MINNEAPOLIS —TJ Friedl went 4 for 4 with a two-run homer and Nick Martinez pitched six strong innings for his third straight win as the Cincinnati Reds routed the scuffling Minnesota Twins 11-1 on Saturday night.
Jake Fraley had three hits for the Reds, including a solo homer. Cincinnati scored nine times in the fourth to put away the game early.
Minnesota remained 2 1/2 games ahead of Detroit for the final American League playoff berth but dropped 3 1/2 games behind Kansas City for the league's second wild card.
Martinez (9-6) allowed one run and three hits with no walks and six strikeouts. In three September starts, he's 3-0 with a 0.48 ERA.
Brent Suter pitched three scoreless innings to earn his second save of the season.
Byron Buxton had an RBI single for the Twins, who have lost eight of 11.
Minnesota starter Simeon Woods Richardson (5-5), who has failed to complete five innings in any of his last four starts, worked out of a bases-loaded, none-out jam without allowing a run in the third. But that 28-pitch effort took its toll an inning later, when he was pulled after allowing a walk and two singles to tie it at 1.
Fraley singled off reliever Louie Varland to load the bases, and Noelvi Marte doubled to give the Reds a 3-1 lead.
Jonathan India followed with a two-run single, and before the inning was over Spencer Steer had a two-run double and Friedl a two-run homer, his second longball in as many nights.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Reds: RHP Hunter Greene (elbow soreness) is slated to throw live batting practice on Tuesday. If all goes well, manager David Bell said Greene could still be in line to make two more starts this season.
Twins: SS Carlos Correa (plantar fasciitis) returned to the lineup for the first time since the All-Star break. He started at shortstop and played four innings, doubling in his second plate appearance. He was pulled along with Buxton in the fifth with the Twins trailing 9-1.
UP NEXT
Twins RHP David Festa (2-6, 5.08 ERA) starts Sunday's series finale against RHP Rhett Lowder (1-1, 0.59).