DENVER (AP) — Ryan Jeffers had three hits, including one of three Minnesota home runs, and Michael A. Taylor homered and tripled to help the playoff-bound Twins beat the Colorado Rockies 7-6 on Friday night.
Trevor Larnach homered, Kody Funderbuck (2-0) got the win in relief and Emilio Pagán picked up his first save for Minnesota.
The Twins wrapped up their third AL Central title in five years with an 8-6 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday. They are locked into the No. 3 seed and will open the best-of-three, wild-card series Tuesday at home against an opponent yet to be determined.
They gained momentum with a come-from-behind win in Colorado.
Larnach and Jeffers hit back-to-back homers in the seventh to tie it at 6. Jeffers and Kyle Farmer led off the ninth with singles off of Tyler Kinley (0-4), and Max Kepler’s sacrifice fly brought home Andrew Stevenson with the go-ahead run.
Alan Trejo, Brendan Rodgers and Elehuris Montero homered, Nolan Jones had three hits and Charlie Blackmon had two hits on the day he signed a deal to remain with Colorado for another year.
Blackmon’s six-year, $108 million contract ends Sunday but he and Colorado agreed to one-year deal for the 2024 season that prevents him from becoming a free agent. A four-time All-Star, Blackmon has spent his entire 13-season big league career with Colorado. Only Todd Helton at 17 seasons played longer for the Rockies.
Batting leadoff, he singled in his first two at-bats but struck out with the bases loaded in the sixth.
Taylor’s 468-foot, two-run homer in the second inning helped Minnesota build a 3-0 lead against starter Ty Blach. Montero’s leadoff homer in the bottom of the inning got Colorado on the boar, Jones had an RBI single in the third and Trejo’s blast off of Joe Ryan in the fourth put the Rockies ahead 5-4.
Rodgers led off the fifth with his fourth home run
TRAINER’S ROOM
Twins: Manager Rocco Baldelli said he would wait to give updates on injured players until the team returns to Minnesota.
UP NEXT
The Twins and Rockies both plan on going with a bullpen day Saturday night.
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