MILWAUKEE – The Twins scored six runs against Brewers ace pitcher Corbin Burnes, handed a three-run lead to the back of their bullpen and played 3 1/2 hours in near 100-degree heat.
Their reward was a walk-off loss.
The Twins needed closer Jhoan Duran to pitch two scoreless innings. Duran kept the score tied in the ninth inning, but he surrendered a walk-off infield single to Brice Turang in the 10th inning as the Twins were dealt a deflating 8-7 loss to the Brewers on Wednesday at American Family Field in a battle between two first-place clubs.
Milwaukee swept the two-game series.
With the Twins leading by a run in the bottom of the 10th inning, Willy Adames opened with a game-tying single and advanced a base after Michael A. Taylor overran the ball in center field. Duran retired the next two batters and had Turang in an 0-2 count before the Brewers rookie beat out an infield single on a high chopper to third base.
"We gave up five runs in the last five innings of the game with our best relievers going out there, late-inning guys who have been really good for us this year," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. "That's tough in and of itself."
For the second straight game in Milwaukee, Baldelli pulled his starting pitcher after he completed five innings and retired eight consecutive batters. The circumstances were much different than Tuesday because Kenta Maeda threw 92 pitches on a steamy 97-degree afternoon.
A fresh bullpen was handed a three-run lead, but it didn't hold up for long.