Ozuna, Marlins Blast Twins 10-3 To Avoid Sweep
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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Marcell Ozuna had four hits and three RBIs, and the Miami Marlins broke open the game with a seven-run seventh inning to beat the Minnesota Twins 10-3 on Thursday night.
Chris Johnson hit a pinch-hit, two-run homer in the seventh and the Marlins bounced back in a big way after dropping the first two games of the series to the lowly Twins. Tom Koehler (4-6) gave up two runs on four hits and struck out six in six innings.
Robbie Grossman hit a two-run double for the Twins (18-41). Ervin Santana (1-6) gave up five runs on nine hits in 6 1/3 innings and Minnesota's bullpen was bludgeoned in the seventh.
Twins right-hander Phil Hughes had to be helped off the field in the ninth inning after taking a line drive off the bat of J.T. Realmuto off of his left knee.
Ichiro Suzuki had two hits and an RBI for the Marlins and is now 27 hits away from 3,000 for his career.
Koehler entered the game averaging 5.4 walks per nine innings, the second-most among qualifying starters. His only walk was an intentional one on Thursday. He faced the minimum number of batters through the first five before the Twins finally got to him in the sixth.
Grossman's double in the sixth tied the game at 2, but in the story of the Twins' season, they quickly squandered the momentum.
The Marlins took a 9-2 lead in the seventh, pounding out eight hits and scoring one run on a wild pitch by reliever Trevor May, who couldn't get an out before getting yanked by Paul Molitor.
Martin Prado, Christian Yelich and Adeiny Hechavarria all had two hits and an RBI for the Marlins.
STANTON FLAILS
Marlins manager Don Mattingly said before the game he was hopeful that struggling slugger Giancarlo Stanton's fortunes were about to turn after he posted his first multi-hit game in nearly a month on Wednesday night.
Stanton was 0 for 5 with four strikeouts and grounded into a double play, dropping his batting average to .197.
DRAFT DAY
Marlins: Selected LHP Braxton Garrett from Florence High School in Alabama with the seventh pick. He had a 0.53 ERA, with 131 strikeouts in 65 1/3 innings as a senior.
Twins: Selected OF Alex Kirilloff from Pittsburgh with the 15th pick. Kirilloff was home schooled but is hitting .544 with three homers and 23 RBIs in 19 games for Plum High School.
TRAINING ROOM
Twins: Hughes was taken for X-rays, which were negative. He is listed as day-to-day. ... OF Oswaldo Arcia left the game with a right foot contusion. The Twins said X-rays were negative and his is listed as day-to-day.
UP NEXT
Marlins: LHP Justin Nicolino (2-3, 4.37) starts the series opener at Arizona against LHP Patrick Corbin (3-5, 4.73).
Twins: Tyler Duffey (2-4, 4.79) starts the opener against Red Sox RHP Steven Wright (6-4, 2.29) in slugger David Ortiz's final series in Minnesota, where his Twins career began.
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