LeBlanc gives up 4 homers in return as Mariners fall to Twins

Published 1:30 am Saturday, May 18, 2019

By Damion Eklund / Associated Press

SEATTLE — C.J. Cron and Jonathan Schoop each hit two home runs and Byron Buxton had a grand slam as part of the Minnesota Twins’ best offensive output of the season, an 18-4 rout of the Seattle Mariners on Saturday night.

Miguel Sano also homered for the Twins, who extended their season-high home run streak to 13 games and moved into a tie with Seattle for the major league home run lead with 87.

Minnesota’s 18 runs were a season high. The Twins have won the first three games of the four-game series, outscoring the Mariners 36-11.

Starter Jose Berrios was looking to rebound after his roughest outing of the season in which he gave up five runs and 12 hits, both season highs, in a loss to the Los Angels Angels on Monday. Berrios cruised through the first four innings in this one, but wasn’t able to pick up the win. He was pulled in the fifth after giving up four runs and six hits in the inning.

Tyler Duffey (1-0) came on and went 1 1/3 innings to earn the victory.

Wade LeBlanc (2-1), making his first start in more than a month after returning from the injured list, gave up seven runs and seven hits — including a career-wost four home runs.

LeBlanc left his last outing on April 12 with a strained right oblique. Before Saturday’s game, Mariners manager Scott Servais said he hoped LeBlanc would have a “competitive outing” against the Twins, with a pitch limit around 75 pitches. LeBlanc didn’t meet either goal, getting knocked out in the third inning after throwing just 49 pitches.

Minnesota’s offense started the rout in the second inning when Cron hit his first homer, the 100th of his career. Later in the inning, Buxton’s grand slam — the Twins’ first of the year — opened the floodgates.

Buxton and Schoop both tied career highs with five RBI. Buxton added a run-scoring single to his grand slam, and Schoop had two-run and three-run homers.