Twins get some bases-loaded breaks, draw plenty of walks in 10-7 win over Dodgers

Phil Miller, The Minnesota Star Tribune on Jul 23, 2025

Published in Baseball

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LOS ANGELES — The Twins are the worst-hitting team in baseball with the bases loaded, and their numbers only got worse Tuesday night.

Funny thing, though.

Turns out, you don’t need a hit to score when the bases are loaded. You can draw a walk, say, or hit into a groundout where the fielder has no choice but to take the out at first base. You can even hit a high chopper off home plate that travels only 40 feet, then watch the pitcher throw it into right field, scoring all three baserunners.

Or on Tuesday night in Dodger Stadium, the Twins could do all three.

Dodgers pitchers walked seven Twins, loading the bases in both the sixth and seventh innings, and the Twins turned them into back-to-back three-run innings and an eventual 10-7 victory over Los Angeles. It’s the most runs the Twins have ever scored against the Dodgers, and only their third victory at Dodger Stadium in 16 meetings, counting the 1965 World Series.

Royce Lewis was in the middle of most of the weirdness, twice reaching base via Dodger errors, both of which allowed runs to score, and also drawing the bases-loaded walk. The Twins went 0-for-2 with a walk when they had three runners on base, dropping their batting average to an MLB-worst .183 (13-for-71).

Third baseman Miguel Rojas dropped Lewis’ ground ball with two runners on base in the second inning; shortstop Mookie Betts picked it up, but his throw to second base was off the mark, allowing the game’s first run to score.

Christian Vázquez followed with a double to the center-field wall, driving two runs home and collecting his first RBIs since he homered June 8.

The Dodgers tied the score, though, when Twins starter Simeon Woods Richardson walked Will Smith and Freddie Freeman to open the inning, then surrendered a home run to Andy Pages. Woods Richardson battled his control all night, walking five Dodgers and recording only nine outs. He now leads the Twins with 28 walks issued this season.

But there were plenty more walks to come.

In the sixth inning, L.A. reliever Ben Casparius faced four batters, giving up a Ty France double and three walks, the last of them to Lewis. He departed to loud boos from the 45,074 in attendance, and Alexis Diaz, making his big league debut, retired Harrison Bader on a roller to third base that Rojas could only throw to first, allowing Carlos Correa to score.

Vázquez then singled in a run, giving him five hits in his last two games, and his second three-RBI game of the season.

Again the Dodgers responded, this time tattooing Louie Varland for three hits, Hyeseong Kim’s two-out, two-run single the most damaging.

But Dodgers pitching once again lost the plate. Righthander Will Klein walked Correa, France and Matt Wallner to load the bases with one out. Edgardo Henriquez was summoned to relieve Klein and wound up making the biggest mistake of the night.

When Lewis’ swing produced a high bounce off home plate, Henriquez rushed over and grabbed it, then rushed his throw to first base, too. The baseball flew past Freddie Freeman and into the right-field corner, allowing all three runners to score.

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