Carlos Correa, after a winding offseason journey that brought him back to Minnesota, had a sluggish start to the season. However, his bat is finally heating up, much to the dismay of Milwaukee Brewers closer Devin Williams.
Correa's two-run blast in the bottom of the ninth inning capped a four-run rally against Williams, securing a thrilling 7-5 victory for the Twins on Tuesday night. The game-winning homer came after Michael A. Taylor started the rally with a solo shot of his own, followed by a walk to Edouard Julien, and a game-tying single by Donovan Solano. Willi Castro, pinch-running for Julien, displayed some daring baserunning, scoring from second on Solano's hit despite a stop sign from the third base coach.
Correa's dramatic home run, his 13th career walk-off and third in the postseason, came off a 1-1 changeup. The Twins shortstop punctuated the moment with his signature time check gesture, reminiscent of his World Series run with Houston in 2021. This clutch performance marked Correa's third home run in five games, offering a much-needed boost to his .217 batting average.
Williams, who suffered his first blown save in 11 attempts, saw his ERA rise from a minuscule 0.42 to 2.08. He surrendered two home runs in a game for the first time in his MLB career, a stark contrast to his .110 opponent batting average entering the contest. The loss extended Milwaukee's losing streak to five games and marked their first defeat when leading after eight innings, dropping their record in such situations to 28-1.
Christian Yelich had a strong night for the Brewers, driving in a season-high four runs with a two-run double and a two-run homer, his first multi-RBI game in nearly a month. Brewers starter Corbin Burnes pitched well until the seventh inning, when he surrendered a solo home run to Kyle Farmer and was subsequently pulled. Twins starter Pablo López struck out nine over six innings, and Josh Winder earned the win with two scoreless innings of relief.
Brewers manager Craig Counsell returned to the dugout after attending his son's high school graduation and subsequent state baseball tournament game. The Brewers also welcomed recently released outfielder Raimel Tapia to Minnesota, though the addition wasn't immediately confirmed. On the injury front, Brewers lefty Wade Miley is expected to return to the rotation on Saturday, while Twins righty Kenta Maeda will make at least one more rehab start before rejoining the team.
