MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Carlos Correa hit a two-run double in the seventh inning, and the Minnesota Twins beat the San Diego Padres 5-3 on Thursday.
Kyle Farmer homered as Minnesota earned its second straight victory after a stretch of five losses in seven games. Emilio Pagán (3-0) got three outs for the win, and Jorge López pitched a perfect ninth for his third save.
Farmer also was plunked by Yu Darvish in the second in his second game back after a hit-by-pitch caused a laceration and the adjustment of four teeth.
Correa, who returned to Minnesota when he finalized a $200 million, six-year contract in January, was booed again by the home crowd after two strikeouts earlier in the game. But he capped the Twins' three-run seventh when he pulled a ground ball down the left-field line against Brent Honeywell (2-2).
Amid the team’s offensive struggles, Correa admitted to hearing boos and said he understood the reaction from fans following Tuesday’s loss to the Padres when he was hitless in five at-bats and left six runners on base.
With Correa and his .189 average starting the day taking the brunt of the blame as the highest paid player in team history, AL Central-leading Minnesota entered the day with a major league-low .220 batting average.
San Diego star Fernando Tatis Jr. homered on the first pitch of the game. Rougned Odor connected for his first homer of the season, but San Diego again came up short in the clutch.
The Padres were 1 of 7 with runners in scoring position and left six runners on base, including the bases loaded in the eighth against Brock Stewart. San Diego started the day last in baseball with a .205 average with runners in scoring position.
Over the last eight games, the Padres are 9 for 67 (.134) with runners on second and third.
UNEXPECTED EXIT
Darvish surrendered four hits and struck out seven in six innings. He threw only 80 pitches before he was replaced by Honeywell to start the seventh. Darvish was visited by manager Bob Melvin and a trainer before the sixth but stayed in and finished a 1-2-3 inning.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Twins: RHP Tyler Mahle will undergo Tommy John surgery after getting a second opinion from Dr. Keith Meister. Mahle, who has made just nine starts due to injury since being acquired from Cincinnati at the trade deadline last year, is a free agent after the season.
UP NEXT
Padres: The road trip continues as San Diego faces the Los Angeles Dodgers for three games. LHP Blake Snell (1-5, 4.89 ERA) starts on Friday against Los Angeles RHP Dustin May (4-1, 2.68 ERA).
Twins: RHP Sonny Gray (4-0, 1.35 ERA) starts the opener of a three-game home series on Friday against the Chicago Cubs. Chicago is scheduled to start LHP Drew Smyly (3-1, 3.05 ERA).
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