Well, I was screaming at my television again. I thought the Twins had tied it up in the ninth, the camera waited to pan to the centerfield fence (on Twins broadcast, not the one shown below,) the suspense was killing me, and then I was sad. The Outman was there to make the play, of course.
Carlos Correa was inches away from silencing the booing Dodgers crowd, but James Outman reeled it in for the final out pic.twitter.com/BGUspUbVHH
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 22, 2025
It was a game of home runs.
The Minnesota Twins rolled into Los Angeles
Monday night for Game 1 of a three-game series. But the Dodgers, after being swept over the weekend, found their power stroke and snapped the streak with a 5-2 win at Dodger Stadium.
Things started off hot for the Twins—literally on the second pitch of the game. Byron Buxton wasted no time, launching his 23rd home run of the season off Shohei Ohtani to give the Twins an early 1-0 lead. This marked his 15th leadoff home run all-time.
Byron Buxton now tied with Max Kepler for the third-most leadoff home runs in #MNTwins history (15), moving him past Chuck Knoblauch.
— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) July 22, 2025
Low and behold, Ohtani responded in the bottom of the first, launching a two-run homer—his 35th of the year—with an bat flip/chuck that set the tone for the Dodgers’ night. The long balls didn’t stop there.
Shohei Ohtani gave up a leadoff home run in the top of the first inning.
— Noah Camras (@noahcamras) July 22, 2025
He made up for it by hitting a two-run home to center field. He hit it 113.4 mph off the bat and 441 feet.
He is truly out of this world.pic.twitter.com/CrWNoh2I9P
David Festa got the start for Minnesota. In the 4th, NL batting average leader Will Smith (.326) crushed a solo shot to center off Festa. Smith later added a second homer—this one a 435-foot solo blast off reliever Louis Varland in the 6th. Andy Pages added one more for L.A., taking Cole Sands deep in the 7th to put the game ultimately out of reach.
Despite the loss, the Twins got solid nights from several players. Royce Lewis continued his tear at the plate with three hits—following up a two-homer performance on Sunday. Buxton had two hits, including the leadoff homer, and both Ryan Jeffers and Matt Wallner added two hits apiece.
Ohtani, pitching in a limited role, threw three innings. He gave up four hits, struck out three, walked one, and allowed one earned run. His ERA now sits at 1.50. Dustin May picked up the win in relief, tossing 4 2/3 effective innings to quiet the Twins’ bats.
To Recap the 9th: Minnesota mounted a late rally in the 9th, loading the bases. Kody “Clutch” Clemens hit a sacrifice fly to score Buxton and cut into the lead. That brought up Carlos Correa—greeted with a chorus of boos—against Dodgers closer Kirby Yates, who shut the door and secured the save. Correa connected with a 399 foot flyout to center, inches away from being a home run.
David Festa’s Line: 5.1 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 5 K – the three home runs he allowed proved to be the difference.
Three Key Takeaways:
- Home Runs Hurt the Twins: The Dodgers launched four home runs, accounting for all five of their runs. Festa gave up three of them, and it proved costly.
- Royce Lewis is Locked In: Lewis finished 3-for-4 with a double, following his two-homer outing Sunday. Could he be emerging again as a key spark in the Twins lineup.
- Buxton Sets the Tone Again: With his 23rd home run of the season, Buxton continues to deliver at the top of the order.
The Twins will look to bounce back Tuesday night. First pitch is set for 9:10 PM Central. Simeon Woods Richardson gets the nod for Minnesota, while Yoshinobu Yamamoto takes the mound for Los Angeles.
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