The Twins ran into a San Diego team that has been raking since the All-Star break, and the result was a 6-2 Padres win on Friday night.
The early damage came fast. Ty France got to Connor Prielipp in the first inning, turning a fastball into a 421-foot two-run homer to left. That set the tone for a Padres offense that has looked much sharper lately, and the numbers back it up: San Diego has posted a 116 wRC+ since play resumed, the second-best mark in the league.
Minnesota, though, had a response in the fourth. The Twins had been putting balls in play with some force against Randy Vásquez for three innings without anything to show for it, but the inning finally opened up when Luke Keaschall singled and Josh Bell was hit by a pitch that clipped his pants. With two outs, Kody Clemens came through with a two-run triple to right to tie the game.
For a moment, it looked like the Twins might have steadied things. Prielipp had settled after the early mistake, leaning more on his breaking pitches and collecting strikeouts and double plays.
But the fifth inning turned into a mess. An infield hit and a walk put him in trouble, Fernando Tatis Jr. followed with a hard grounder into right, and then Luis Rengifo and Manny Machado kept the line moving as Minnesota’s defense scrambled.
Ty France finished the burst with a sacrifice fly, and San Diego had four runs in the inning and a 6-2 lead.
That was essentially the end of it. Minnesota didn’t record another hit after Clemens’ triple.
The Twins went quietly in the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth, while Vásquez settled in after being hittable early. Bradgley Rodriguez worked through his outing, and Mason Miller struck out the side to close it out.
Prielipp’s line finished at 6 innings, 8 hits, 6 earned runs, 2 walks, and 7 strikeouts. There were no home runs after France’s first-inning blast.
The teams will be back at it Saturday with a 7:40 PM first pitch. Dean Kremer will face Casey Mize in a matchup of trade deadline acquisitions.
In Other News...
Twins Fans Should Be Careful Before Regretting This Pitching Move
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Minnesota also had a chance to circle back when Toronto designated him for assignment, and it passed. That call looks a little less dramatic now because the Twins have since bolstered their bullpen with other additions, giving them more relief depth without needing to revisit the old move. It is the kind of transaction that can tempt second-guessing in the moment, but the broader roster context makes the regret a bit harder to justify. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Pitching Depth Takes Another Hit With Rojas In Trouble
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Rojas setback matters because the Twins have been leaning on every bit of organizational depth they can find, and this is the kind of injury that can linger and complicate a pitchers timeline. With the season now in jeopardy for one of their upper-level arms, Minnesota is left trying to patch together innings while the bigger-picture pressure keeps building. [Read more 🡒]
Former Twin Is Making Minnesota's Trade Look Worse By The Week
Ty France has quietly turned into one of the better value stories in the National League, and his latest stretch is only making Minnesotas decision look rougher. After a down offensive season sent him to San Diego on a minor-league deal, he has become one of the Padres most productive players and has even climbed to the top of the clubs offensive leaderboard in several key categories.
For the Twins, the hard part is how directly Frances resurgence ties back to their own trade chain. Minnesota dealt him to Toronto in 2025 before the Padres landed him, and now San Diego is getting strong production from a player making just $1.35 million this year. In a game where roster decisions are judged almost immediately, France is becoming the kind of former Twin who keeps the second-guessing alive. [Read more 🡒]