Marlins put reeling Twins in deeper trouble in wild-card race with 4-1 win

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – The struggling Minnesota Twins took another hit in their quest for an American League wild-card spot, falling 4-1 to the Miami Marlins, a team with 99 losses, on Tuesday night. Jonah Bride led the charge for Miami, hitting a home run that ignited a four-run second inning against Bailey Ober, who struggled to keep the Twins in the game.

Bride finished the night with three hits, while Nick Fortes and Xavier Edwards each contributed two, fueling the crucial rally against Ober (12-8). This was just the second time in his last 17 starts that Ober couldn’t complete six innings. The Twins’ lineup, which has been inconsistent, particularly shone as they have produced two or fewer runs in 14 of their last 30 games, marking their 23rd loss in 34 games.

With the defeat, Minnesota (81-76) fell two games behind in the postseason race, trailing Detroit and Kansas City, who are tied for the last two wild-card spots at 83-74. While the Twins hold the tiebreakers after winning the season series against both teams, they have only five games left to make a move.

Meanwhile, Baltimore secured at least a wild-card spot with Minnesota’s loss, and Detroit celebrated their 28th win in their last 39 games before the Twins even took the field, as their game against Tampa Bay was rescheduled to avoid rain.

The defending AL Central champions were just two games behind division leader Cleveland as recently as August 24. However, after a series of bullpen failures and a sudden drop in offensive performance, they’ve struggled mightily as the season winds down.

Despite their lackluster record, the Marlins came out swinging against the Twins. Bride launched a 104.3 mph fastball deep into the second deck in left field to put Miami on the scoreboard. Ober then hit Derek Hill with a pitch, which led to an RBI single by Fortes, followed by Edwards’ two-run double that pushed the Marlins ahead with a four-run lead.

The Twins had opportunities but squandered them, going 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and leaving 10 on base. Outfielder Matt Wallner also exited early due to tightness in his left oblique muscle.

Royce Lewis managed to drive in a run in the third inning off Marlins starter Ryan Weathers (4-6), but the lefty went on to secure his first win since May 26, after spending 2½ months on the injured list.

Ober’s struggles continued, as he faced just one batter in the sixth and is now 0-3 with five no-decisions in his last eight starts. Meanwhile, right fielder Max Kepler is unlikely to return this week, having missed the last 20 games due to an injury that has worsened and could lead to offseason surgery. If the Twins miss the playoffs, it may mark the end of Kepler’s time with the organization that signed him in 2009.

Looking ahead, the Marlins will send right-hander Edward Cabrera (4-8, 5.12 ERA) to the mound for the middle game of the series on Wednesday night, while the Twins will counter with right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson (5-5, 4.00 ERA).

(Photo courtesy of Twins/MLB)