Twins give up 6 runs in seventh inning, fall to Reds 8-4
The Minnesota Twins lost have now lost seven of their last 10 games following Friday's 8-4 loss to the Cincinnati Reds at Target Field.
Elly De La Cruz hit his first big league grand slam in a six-run seventh inning for the Reds.
The Twins (78-69) are 2 1/2 games ahead of Detroit for the final AL wild card spot.
TJ Friedl drove in the Reds' first two runs with a second-inning home run and a tiebreaking squeeze bunt single in the seventh off Bailey Ober (12-7) that put Cincinnati ahead 2-1. Ty France hit an RBI double and De La Cruz followed with his 24th home run, his second since Aug. 21.
De La Cruz stood at the plate and held his bat high, watching the drive off Jorge Alcala soar into the right-field second deck.
Julian Aguiar (2-0), in the longest of his six major league starts, held the Twins to three hit over 6 1/3 innings with four strikeouts.
Friedl had three hits including a second-inning homer, and drove in three runs.
Byron Buxton homered for the Twins in his first game since Aug. 12 after recovering from a hip injury.
Ober gave up five runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings.
UP NEXT
Minnesota RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (5-4, 3.96) starts Saturday.