Twins top Mariners 10-1 after spark from Woods Richardson’s strong start and Larnach’s homer

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Trevor Larnach homered with three RBIs after Simeon Woods Richardson started with five scoreless innings, and the Minnesota Twins beat the Seattle Mariners 10-1 on Thursday after a rain delay of 4 hours and 22 minutes.

Brooks Lee led off an eight-run sixth against reliever Zach Pop with a home run. Then came RBI doubles from Byron Buxton and Willi Castro, a two-run single by Carlos Correa and a two-run homer from Matt Wallner in the highest-scoring inning for the Twins since a nine-run outburst in the first at New York on April 13, 2023.

Woods Richardson (3-4) produced a superb follow-up to the six scoreless innings Joe Ryan threw in a 2-0 victory on Wednesday, helping the Twins (39-42) win consecutive games for the first time since taking three straight from June 3-5. They lost 15 of 18 after that.

Emerson Hancock (3-4) started with four scoreless innings for the Mariners before Larnach’s two-run shot in the fifth.

Mariners catcher Mitch Garver left in the fifth inning when Wallner fouled a ball off his mask, forcing star Cal Raleigh to finish behind the plate in forfeiture of the designated hitter.

Woods Richardson bent low to snag a screaming line drive leading off the fourth, flashing a big smile back at an impressed Julio Rodriguez.

The longest rain delay in Target Field’s 16 seasons lasted 4:50 on June 22, 2017, before the Twins lost 9-0 to Chicago.

Seattle starts a three-game series at Texas on Friday, the last stop on a 10-game road trip. Mariners RHP Logan Gilbert (2-2, 3.12 ERA pitches against Rangers RHP Nathan Eovaldi (4-3, 1.56).

The Twins start a three-game series at MLB-leading Detroit on Friday, considering an opener for RHP David Festa (1-2, 6.39) as they did during his last turn in the rotation. RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long (0-0, 4.58) will pitch for the Tigers.