Lewis hits 2 homers and Ryan strikes out 11 as Twins top Rockies to avert series sweep

DENVER, CO — Royce Lewis powered the Minnesota Twins to a 7-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday, belting two home runs in his first career multi-homer game. Joe Ryan struck out 11 batters over seven dominant innings, helping the Twins avoid a three-game sweep at Coors Field.

Ryan (10-4), fresh off his first All-Star appearance, delivered a stellar outing. The right-hander allowed just one run on five hits without issuing a walk. He had previously pitched a scoreless inning with two strikeouts during Tuesday night’s All-Star Game in Atlanta.

Minnesota’s bullpen kept the Rockies quiet, with Griffin Jax and Jhoan Duran each tossing a scoreless inning in relief.

Matt Wallner contributed a two-run homer in the third inning off Rockies starter Germán Márquez (3-11), while Harrison Bader added a solo shot of his own. Willi Castro tripled to lead off the ninth and came around to score after a throwing error by shortstop Orlando Arcia, extending the Twins’ lead to 7-1.

Colorado’s only run came on a solo homer from Mickey Moniak in the third. Jordan Beck and Ryan McMahon each had a pair of hits for the Rockies.

The Twins broke a 1-1 tie in the third inning. Castro walked to open the frame, advanced on a groundout by Carlos Correa, and scored on Kody Clemens’ RBI triple. Wallner followed with his home run to give Minnesota a 3-1 cushion.

Minnesota racked up 12 hits, including six for extra bases, while its pitchers combined for 13 strikeouts.

Up Next:
The Twins head to Los Angeles to open a series against the Dodgers, who will send Shohei Ohtani (0-0, 1.00 ERA) to the mound. Minnesota has not yet announced its starter.
The Rockies return home to begin a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals.