Willi Castro homers twice, Royce Lewis ends skid as Twins crush Athletics

After Castro gave the Twins (33-27) the one-run advantage, Byron Buxton provided some insurance with a two-run single that made it a four-run inning for Minnesota. The insurance proved pretty valuable as Pablo Lopez's day unexpectedly came to a premature end. He was warming up to pitch the sixth inning, but ended up exiting with right shoulder tightness.

Lopez was pitching well before his exit, allowing just two runs off four hits while fanning four across five innings. Cole Sands came on to relieve him in the sixth, but gave up a run on Luis Urias' groundout that cut the A's (23-39) deficit to 5-3.

That ultimately didn't matter, though, as the Twins plated four more runs in the seventh. Tyler Ferguson hit Brooks Lee with a pitch with the bases loaded to bring in one run, and the next at-bat, Royce Lewis finally ended his 0-for-32 skid, hitting a two-run double that made it 8-3. Lee later came around to score the final run of the frame on a wild pitch from Ferguson.

Carlos Correa brought in one more for the Twins with an RBI groundout in the eighth inning.

Despite the late onslaught from the Twins, it was the Athletics who struck first. Brent Rooker, a former Twin, hit an RBI single in the first inning for a 1-0 A's lead, and Shea Langeliers made it a 2-0 advantage with his sacrifice fly in the third.

But it was all Twins after that. The only downside Tuesday was Lopez's exit, and the wait and see on what his status will be.

The Twins and Athletics meet for the third of their four-game series at 9:05 p.m. CT Wednesday night.

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