Kody Clemens did the heavy lifting when the game got tight, and the Minnesota Twins finished off a three-game sweep with a 6-4 win over the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday.
Clemens finished with three RBIs, while Brooks Lee delivered the go-ahead insurance with an RBI single in the seventh. Kaelen Culpepper also chipped in with three hits as Minnesota kept the pressure on all afternoon.
The decisive stretch came after the score was tied at 4. Josh Bell doubled off Victor Mederos with one out in the seventh, Clemens followed with an RBI single against Dylan Lee, and Brooks Lee added another single two batters later to bring Clemens home.
Atlanta got RBI hits from Ronald Acuña Jr., Lane Thomas and Ozzie Albies, but the Braves couldn’t turn enough traffic into runs. They have scored 15 runs while losing five of their last six games, including 4-2 on Monday and 4-1 on Tuesday. Over that span, they are 8 for 43 with runners in scoring position.
The Braves also lost their manager in the eighth, when Walt Weiss was ejected for arguing a check swing.
Minnesota built its early edge behind Clemens as well. AJ Smith-Shawver, back up from Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday, made his second start of the season for Atlanta and was tagged for five hits and four earned runs in 4 1/3 innings. Clemens ripped a two-run double as part of a three-run fifth that pushed the Twins ahead 4-1.
Atlanta answered in the sixth, putting together three straight singles to open the inning against Kody Funderburk. All three runners came around, with the last one scoring on a Tommy Nance balk to pull the Braves even.
Taj Bradley was sharp enough to give Minnesota a chance. In his search for a first win in seven starts, he allowed two hits and one run over five innings and struck out seven. He worked quickly at first, needing 16 pitches through two innings, then labored more in the middle, throwing at least 20 pitches in each of the next three frames and 31 in the fifth.
The Minnesota bullpen closed it out from there. A.J. Minter recorded the final two outs of the seventh, Jeff Hoffman struck out three in the eighth, and Yoendrys Gómez handled the ninth with a 1-2-3 inning for his third save in as many games and 20th save of the season.
Up next, the Braves head to Chicago on Thursday with RHP Grant Holmes (7-5, 3.82 ERA) on the mound against the White Sox and LHP Anthony Kay (9-5, 4.01). The Twins begin a three-game series Friday in San Diego with LHP Connor Prielipp (3-6, 5.34), and the Padres have not announced a starter.
In Other News...
Joe Ryan Just Gave Twins Fans Reason To Watch September Closely
Joe Ryans road back from the injured list took a meaningful step this week, and for a Twins club that has spent plenty of time piecing together the back end of the rotation, it was the kind of update worth circling. The right-hander, who has been out with a strained left glute muscle, got back on the mound for the first time since his Aug. 4 outing and worked through a short bullpen session as he continues his recovery.
Derek Shelton called the throwing session encouraging, which is about as much as Minnesota can ask for at this stage. The larger question is still when Ryan will be ready to rejoin the staff, and for now there is no set timetable, leaving his return one of the more closely watched developments as September unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Playoff Push May Force A Big Walker Jenkins Decision
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Walker Jenkins is the name sitting at the center of that decision. The top prospect has handled Triple-A well enough to make the conversation real, and a call-up would give Minnesota another bat with some defensive value if the club decides the playoff chase is worth pushing a prized young player into the mix before it is ready to do so on its own timetable. [Read more 🡒]
Twins May Need To Start Planning For Life After Buxton In Center
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Walker Jenkins is the reason that conversation is starting to feel more than theoretical. The top prospect is performing well in Triple-A and is viewed as the organizations center fielder of the future, with 2027 looking like the clearest path for that changeover. For the Twins, the question is no longer whether Buxton can handle the spot right now, but how long they can afford to wait before planning for the next one. [Read more 🡒]