Twins continue to sizzle at the plate to crush Diamondbacks 8-3

PHOENIX – Carlos Correa connected with a hanging curveball in the fourth inning Wednesday, sending a line drive to center field, and Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Ryne Nelson didn't bother turning his head to watch the RBI double.

The Twins had no such issues watching their offensive clinic.

They pounded 14 hits. There were seven doubles, including three in the fourth inning, and a long home run from Willi Castro. Five batters reached base at least twice. Add it up and the Twins bashed their way to an 8-3 victory at Chase Field.

The Twins, who have the fourth-highest scoring offense in the major leagues this month, have produced a double-digit hit total in 10 of their last 13 games.

Correa, who reached base four times to continue his red-hot month, helped kickstart the offense in the second inning. Correa and Carlos Santana had back-to-back singles, and Byron Buxton was plunked by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. Jose Miranda cleared the bases with a three-run double into the left-center gap, Buxton scoring easily from first on a line drive that one-hopped to the wall.

A couple hours before Wednesday's game, Twins manager Rocco Baldelli mentioned he was giving Royce Lewis more games as a designated hitter, so he could put Miranda in the lineup more often. Miranda, who recorded his fifth three-hit game of the season, has 16 RBI this month.

"It's hard for anyone to complain about the way that all of our guys have been swinging the bat," Baldelli said. "We've been really productive against both righties and lefties recently even though we're definitely carrying more righthanded hitters than we have in a very long time. I mean, it doesn't feel like anything is broken in any way so you just want to keep rolling."

Buxton hit a sacrifice fly in the third inning, after back-to-back singles from Correa and Santana. Castro and Trevor Larnach opened the fourth inning with back-to-back doubles before Correa followed with another double. Correa is the only Twins player with more RBI (18) than Miranda in June.

In the fifth inning, Castro greeted new D-backs reliever Brandon Hughes by rocketing a first-pitch fastball halfway up the left field seats for a two-run, 428-foot homer.

"It's about as deep as you can get a lineup," Ryan Jeffers said.

Twins rookie pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson, gifted a seven-run lead, permitted three runs and four hits in 5⅓ innings.

Perhaps, Woods Richardson deserved a better stat line. A run scored in the fourth inning on Lourdes Gurriel Jr.'s RBI triple, a ball down the left-field line that Larnach misplayed in the corner.

Woods Richardson left two runners on base when he exited in the sixth inning, and they both scored through a wild pitch from Josh Staumont and a sacrifice fly.

Twins relievers Josh Staumont, Steven Okert, Jhoan Duran and Ronny Henriquez retired the final 11 batters to secure the victory.

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