- Ty France delivers game-winning RBI single in 10th inning
- Mets erase 3-run deficit with explosive 8th-inning rally
- Byron Buxton scores winning run as automatic runner
- Harrison Bader makes critical defensive plays against former team
- Twins secure first series victory since early April
The Minnesota Twins claimed their most dramatic win of the season Wednesday, defeating the New York Mets 4-3 in a 10th-inning walk-off fueled by Ty France's clutch single. With speedster Byron Buxton placed on second base under MLB's extra-innings rules, France lined a 1-1 pitch from Reed Garrett into center field, securing Minnesota's second series win in six attempts this year.
New York nearly stole victory with a three-run eighth inning against Twins reliever Griffin Jax. Pete Alonso and Jesse Winker smashed consecutive RBI doubles to snap the Mets' 12-inning scoring drought, followed by Luisangel Acuña's game-tying single. The rally nearly produced more runs, but Harrison Bader's diving catch in center field stranded two runners to end the threat.
The game turned on multiple defensive gems. Bader, playing his first season with Minnesota after spending 2023 with the Mets, threw out Winker at home plate in the second inning. First baseman Pete Alonso made a spectacular diving stop in the sixth, though replay suggested his throw barely beat Willi Castro to the bag. Umpire Hunter Wendelstedt exited in the sixth after taking a foul ball to the head.
Industry analysts note this game highlights two growing MLB trends: the impact of automatic runners in extra innings (introduced in 2020) and increased reliance on bullpen games. With starter Griffin Canning scratched due to illness, the Mets used six pitchers including Justin Hagenman, who delivered 3.1 scoreless innings in his MLB debut.
Regional fans witnessed history as Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor extended his hitting streak at Target Field to 20 games dating to 2019 - the longest by any opponent in the stadium's 16-year existence. The Twins now face Atlanta in a weekend series featuring pitchers with combined 16.69 ERAs, while New York hosts St. Louis with rotation uncertainties looming.