Carlos Santana hit a home run in the sixth inning to break a tie in the game — a hit down the left-field line that was confirmed after a review. This home run marked Santana’s achievement of hitting home runs in all 30 current major league ballparks. The Minnesota Twins went on to defeat the San Francisco Giants 4-2 on Saturday night.
The 38-year-old Santana hit the solo homer off Taylor Rodgers (1-3), marking his 13th of the season and 314th overall. In addition to his home run, Santana also singled and walked twice during the game.
Santana, one of only three active players (alongside Giancarlo Stanton and Manny Machado) to achieve this feat, expressed gratitude for the accomplishment. He mentioned that many players find Oracle Park challenging due to its larger dimensions that favor pitchers, but he personally views it as a great ballpark.
“God has blessed me throughout my career, which has spanned 15 years,” Santana said. “It means a lot to me and my family. I’m grateful every day for the health and opportunity to play hard.”
In the ninth inning, the Twins added another run on Ryan Jeffers’ double-play ground ball. This victory marked their fifth win in seven games, while the Giants have now lost five of their last seven.
Cole Sands (4-1) earned the win by pitching 1 2/3 scoreless innings after starter Simeon Woods Richardson allowed two runs in 4 2/3 innings. Jhoan Duran secured his 15th save of the season.
Minnesota faced challenges with injuries to key players such as Carlos Correa, José Miranda, and Byron Buxton, who were all sidelined. Christian Vázquez made his first career start at third base as a result.
“It doesn’t matter who’s out there on the field,” Richardson commented. “We have confidence in all our guys. We have depth in our lineup, and we’re versatile.”
In the fifth inning, the Twins scored two runs on just one hit. Matt Wallner drove in a run with an RBI double following a leadoff hit-by-pitch, then scored on a passed ball by Patrick Bailey after advancing to third on an error by right fielder Mike Yastrzemski.
