Matt Wallner’s 3-run homer highlights 7-run 4th inning as the Twins top Padres 11-4

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Matt Wallner’s three-run homer highlighted a seven-run fourth inning as the Minnesota Twins beat the San Diego Padres 11-4 on Wednesday.

With the win, Minnesota snapped a three-game skid and avoided a sweep in San Diego. The Twins completed a seven-game trip at 4-3.

The Padres lost for just the seventh time in 29 games.

Minnesota start Simeon Woods Richardson (5-3) was helped by the Twins’ 18-hit attack and won his second straight start. The 23-year-old right-hander blanked the Padres through four innings and allowed a run on three hits, with seven strikeouts and two walks in five innings.

Woods Richardson looked a bit out of form early with a 29-pitch first inning.

“It’s tough to create a rhythm for our guys when you do that,″ Woods Richardson said. “But then I just tried to throw strikes, get us out of that early and get us rolling again.”

Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli said Woods Richardson being able to rebound from his rocky beginning was significant.

“The biggest point of the entire game was him getting through the first inning and figuring out a way to hold them down,″ Baldelli said. “He was searching for it a little bit, but ultimately he found a way to make some pitches and get us out of it.

“That catapulted us in some ways and the at-bats followed and the at-bats were good all day.”

The Twins took a one-run lead in the third before breaking the game open in the fourth when they sent 10 batters to the plate, scored seven runs and extended their lead to 8-0.

With one out, Minnesota got two singles and a pair of run-scoring doubles from Austin Martin and Willi Castro. Royce Lewis added an RBI single before Wallner’s blast, his eighth of the year, which landed deep into the right-field seats.

“It’s so much easier to hit when guys are getting hits, guy after guy,″ Wallner said.

The Twins also adjusted after learning that the Padres’ Matt Waldron was limiting his knuckleball pitches.

“We were too patient the first time through,″ Wallner said. “After that we got way more aggressive and started battling earlier in counts.″

Minnesota added two runs in the fifth on Martin’s double — for his third RBI of the game — and Trevor Larnach’s RBI single.

Larnach and Edouard Julien each had four hits. Carlos Santana was the only starting player without a hit for the Twins.

Waldron (7-11) allowed a career-high 10 runs and 12 hits, a walk and a hit batter with three strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings.

Jackson Merrill and Donovan Solano homered for the Padres.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Padres: RF Fernando Tatis Jr. (leg) moved to the 60-day injured list to open a roster spot for SS Mason McCoy.

Twins: RHP David Festa (2-2, 4.96) faces the visiting St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.

Padres: RHP Dylan Cease (12-9, 3.46) opens a four-game set against the visiting New York Mets on Thursday.

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