Twins pound Marlins 11-1, off to best start since 2017 with fourth straight win

They opened the retractable roof on a rare occasion at Miami's tropical loanDepot Park — and it poured homers and runs in the Twins' 11-1 victory over the Marlins on Monday.

After starting the season with a three-game sweep at Kansas City, the Twins remained undefeated Monday by hitting four home runs and receiving more stingy starting pitching. They also again ran the bases and defended the infield with the kind of baseball manager Rocco Baldelli calls "glorious."

The Twins won on a night when Marlins second baseman Luis Arraez and Twins righthander Pablo López watched their former teams play for the first time since a January trade swapped the reigning American League batting champ for an Opening Day starter.

The Twins have scored 18 runs in their past two games after they produced a total of four in the first two. They scored Monday's first on the night's fourth pitch, headed to an 8-0 lead after four innings to back Tyler Mahle, who gave up one run on five hits while striking out seven over five innings.

"I don't know, maybe the weather has something to do with it," Twins left fielder Trevor Larnach, who hit a two-run blast in the seventh inning, told reporters in Miami after the game. "I just love this team. We come out hot. We're all fired up for each other. Everyone is rooting for each other and we're going to keep going."

The Twins are 4-0 to start the season for the first time since 2017; before that, the last time they won their first four games was in their first World Series championship season of 1987. Tampa Bay is the majors' only other undefeated team, also 4-0.

The Twins have yet to trail this season, and Monday they led nearly for the entire game, after Max Kepler ended his 0-for-13 start to 2023 by taking Johnny Cueto deep for his 14th career leadoff homer.

Three innings later, Kepler was pulled for a pinch runner after reaching on an infield single. The team said he was suffering from right knee soreness. Baldelli said he, the training staff and Kepler all don't think it was a long-term issue and will see how he feels Tuesday.

"I wouldn't see him likely in the lineup, but we'll see if he's available for anything," Baldelli said.

Joey Gallo followed Kepler's solo homer with a three-run shot of his own in the second inning. That was Gallo's third consecutive home run in as many at-bats — he went deep twice, the second a three-run blast, in Sunday's 7-4 victory at Kansas City.

Gallo not only drove another pitch deep to right field, he also later sent an infield pop-up so high to got stuck in the retractable roof.

Larnach then drove in Byron Buxton from first on a second-inning triple, the first triple of his career.

"They're telling us to be aggressive and that's exactly what I did," Larnach said.

Pinch hitter Ryan Jeffers hit the fourth home run in the ninth against Marlins catcher-turned-pitcher Jacob Stallings, whose lobbed "fastball" came in at 51.5 mph and left the park at 105.

"I'm never opposed to hitting some homers," Baldelli said. "A game like this is what you want to see. We've had some good swings this year, but seeing guys hit in the seats creates a good momentum, a good energy. It was a really good offensive day from the very start."

The Twins' starters — López, Sonny Gray, Joe Ryan and now Mahle — have given up a total of two runs through four games.

"Our starters have led the way here," Baldelli said. "I like what I'm seeing all around the field, but it starts with the starting pitching."

Baldelli called Mahle's fastball "crisp" and his offseason-improved slider "good." The lone run against him came on Arraez's two-out single in the fifth inning, one of two hits for the 2022 AL All-Star.

"He forced himself upon the hitters," Baldelli said. "He made them do something in a game when we jumped out in front. That's really what you want pitcher to do."

The Star Tribune did not send the writer of this article to the game. This was written using a broadcast, interviews and other material.