Twins lose to Atlanta, their skid against the Braves reaching double digits

Phil Miller, The Minnesota Star Tribune on Apr 19, 2025

Published in Baseball

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ATLANTA — This Braves streak is reaching Yankee proportions for the Minnesto Twins.

Naturally, it took a former Yankee to extend it.

Alex Verdugo, who left New York as a free agent last winter, spoiled Brock Stewart’s return to the majors with a tie-breaking single Saturday, and the Braves held on for a 4-3 victory at Truist Park.

The loss was the Twins’ 10th in a row to the Braves, a skid dating back to a Miguel Sano walk-off homer in 2019. No, it doesn’t yet rival Minnesota’s 13 straight postseason losses to New York, but that feeling of futility, of watching even their best moments swept away, seems awfully familiar.

One night after blowing a three-run eighth-inning lead, the Twins quieted the sellout crowd of 39,278 by twice taking leads over the Braves. But those brief advantages only served to raise the decibel level into triple digits when the Twins allowed Atlanta to match, or exceed, them during their next turn at bat.

And even though native Georgian Byron Buxton had a spectacular night in the leadoff spot, collecting three hits, driving in a run and stealing a base, the Braves’ leadoff hitter — Verdugo — matched him with three hits and an RBI. His was the game-winner, though.

Even more frustrating: The Twins had so many chances against longtime nemesis Chris Sale, who gave up six hits, half of them for extra bases, and walked three more batters in his 4 1/3 innings. But the Twins only scored twice, constantly seeking a clutch hit off the left-hander that never came. They went 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position, three times leaving runners stranded on third base.

Things started off so well against Sale, who has 12 career wins over Minnesota. Buxton opened the game by beating out an infield hit, then scored from first base when newcomer Luke Keaschall drove a two-strike slider into the left-field corner for a double. The next three hitters, though, couldn’t bring him home.

Nor could they two innings later, when Buxton crushed a ball off the center-field fence and hustled to third base with a one-out triple. Keaschall struck out, and after a walk Ty France grounded out.

Carlos Correa led off the fourth inning by launching a fastball in the middle of the plate into the right-field seats, trying the game with his first home run of the season. An inning later, though, after Sale loaded the bases with another single by Buxton and back-to-back walks, Correa and Harrison Bader struck out against reliever Rafael Montero.

That opening proved fatal, because Simeon Woods Richardson, after falling behind 2-0 to Michael Harris, left a fastball low and inside. Harris, seemingly waiting for exactly that pitch, bounced it off the Chop House restaurant behind the right-field seats, flipping his bat in celebration after tying the game once more.

Woods Richardson seemed rattled, allowing the Braves’ eighth and ninth hitters, Nick Allen and Jarred Kelenic, to follow with back-to-back singles, ending his night. Stewart, activated for his first MLB action since last July, was summoned to face Verdugo.

Stewart’s first three pitches were all wide of the strike zone, but he got the count back to 3-2. His seventh pitch was a fastball at the letters, though, and Verdugo punched it into right field for an RBI single.

Stewart was charged with three of the Braves’ four runs, the other coming off opener Justin Topa, who gave up three first-inning hits while Woods Richardson warmed up.

The Twins have one more chance, in Sunday afternoon’s series finale, to break Atlanta’s grip on them until next season. Otherwise, they’ll have to be content recalling their 4-3 advantage over Atlanta in World Series play.

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