Minnesota Twins @ Washington Nationals
Buxton hits 3-run HR, Bradley has 8 strikeouts to help Twins beat Nationals 11-3
WASHINGTON -- — Byron Buxton hit a three-run homer, Brooks Lee drove in three runs and Taj Bradley struck out eight in six solid innings to help the Minnesota Twins beat the Washington Nationals 11-3 on Tuesday night.
Buxton's homer, his sixth in the last eight games and 11th this season, made it 10-3 in the eighth. Lee was 3 for 5 with two doubles and Trevor Larnach added two hits and two RBI.
Bradley (4-1) gave up two runs and four hits and walked two.
Cade Cavalli (1-2) gave up six runs — three earned — in four innings for the Nationals, who are 4-13 at home this season.
Kody Clemens was hit by a pitch with two outs in the second and Luke Keaschall followed with an infield single before Lee doubled down right field line to give the Twins a 2-1 lead.
Austin Martin singled before Clemens and Keaschall each walked to load the bases with no outs in the fourth. Martin scored when Lee reached on a fielding error by Cavalli and a sacrifice fly by Royce Lewis drove in Clemens before Larnach’s two-run double made it 6-1.
Daylen Lile walked, moved to third when Curtis Mead doubled and scored when CJ Abrams reached on a fielder's choice to give the Nationals a 1-0 lead in the first inning.
Mead's double in the fifth drove in Lile.
Mead and José Tena each went 2 for 4 with a double.
Josh Bell singled to drive in Ryan Jeffers, who led off the seventh with a double, to make it 7-2.
James Wood hit a liner off the top of the wall in left for a double that drove in Tena in the bottom of the inning and cut the Nationals' deficit to 7-3.
Minnesota RHP Bailey Ober (3-1, 3.55 ERA) starts Wednesday against Miles Mikolas (0-3, 8.23) in the second of a three-game series.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
MIN leads 1-0
Game Information
- Umpires:
- Home Plate Umpire - Mark Wegner
- First Base Umpire - Carlos Torres
- Second Base Umpire - Nate Tomlinson
- Third Base Umpire - Bruce Dreckman
2026 American League Central Standings
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit | 18 | 19 | .486 | - | L2 |
| Cleveland | 18 | 19 | .486 | - | L3 |
| Chicago | 17 | 19 | .472 | 0.5 | L1 |
| Kansas City | 17 | 19 | .472 | 0.5 | W5 |
| Minnesota | 16 | 20 | .444 | 1.5 | W2 |
2026 National League East Standings
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | 26 | 11 | .703 | - | W1 |
| Philadelphia | 16 | 20 | .444 | 9.5 | W3 |
| Miami | 16 | 20 | .444 | 9.5 | L3 |
| Washington | 16 | 20 | .444 | 9.5 | L1 |
| New York | 13 | 22 | .371 | 12 | W2 |

