Early barrage carries Twins, Bailey past Cardinals 6-3

[July 29, 2020]  Josh Donaldson and Jorge Polanco each homered and drove in two runs to lead the Minnesota Twins to a 6-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night in Minneapolis.

Homer Bailey (1-0) picked up the victory in his Twins debut, allowing two runs on four hits over five innings. Bailey, who entered with a 6-16 record and a 5.80 ERA in 28 career starts against the Cardinals, walked two and struck out four.

Sergio Romo pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his first save. Donaldson and Polanco each had two of Minnesota's seven hits.

Carlos Martinez (0-1), making his first start since July 30, 2018, gave up six runs on seven hits over 3 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out two.

Tyler O'Neill and Tommy Edman homered for St. Louis. Edman and Matt Carpenter both finished with two hits for the Cardinals, who dropped their second straight game.

Martinez, who worked his way out of a bases-loaded jam in the first inning when he managed to get Mitch Garver to ground out, was touched for five runs on four hits in the second when Minnesota built a 5-0 lead.

Luis Arraez opened the inning with a single, went to third on a double down the left field line by Miguel Sano and then scored on a fielder's choice by Byron Buxton, beating shortstop Paul DeJong's throw to the plate.

Cardinals starting pitcher Carlos Martinez (18) and infield players talk during the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Max Kepler followed with a single to drive in Sano, and Donaldson made it 3-0 with a sacrifice fly to drive in Buxton. Polanco then capped the rally with a two-run homer to right.

Donaldson increased Minnesota's lead to 6-0 in the fourth with his first home run with the Twins, an opposite-field drive to right.

O'Neill cut it to 6-2 in the fifth with his second home run of the season, a 438-foot drive deep into the bullpen in left-center that drove in Dexter Fowler.

Edman made it 6-3 with a leadoff homer in the eighth that hit the heel of the glove of Buxton and then bounced over the wall in center for his first long ball of the season.

--Field Level Media

[© 2020 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2020 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.