Joey Ortiz delivered a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the 12th inning after hustling home for the tying run in the 11th, joining other key players who sparked the Milwaukee Brewers to an 8-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Saturday night after the All-Star break.
“This victory showed our relentless spirit,” said Brewers manager Pat Murphy.
Jackson Chourio contributed with two RBIs on three singles, and Brice Turang added a two-run single in the decisive 12th inning for the Brewers, who sealed the win well after Freddy Peralta’s six shutout innings as starter.
In the 11th inning, Carlos Santana struck a tying two-run homer with two outs and two strikes against Jakob Junis (2-0) — a blast against his former team. The Brewers had earlier scored twice in that inning.
Steven Okert (3-1) took the loss after a challenging 12th inning. The Twins’ Jake Bauers attempted a bunt up the third-base line, but Okert, approaching the ball, inadvertently touched it too soon, preventing it from rolling foul. This error allowed the Brewers to load the bases with no outs, setting the stage for their offensive surge.
“I’m not sure if I could have made a play on it,” Twins third baseman Brooks Lee admitted. “But either way, that ball was headed foul. It happens.”
Ortiz, who began the 11th inning as the automatic runner, advanced to third base on a wild pitch and then scored with a daring head-first dive to narrowly beat the tag on an infield chopper.
“This win gives us a lot of momentum moving forward,” reflected Peralta. “Starting the second half with a victory like this is significant, and we’ll build on it.”
The Twins had been anticipating a weekend series against the Brewers after numerous midweek games against their neighboring rival. However, the series was condensed to just two games under MLB’s current scheduling format, which will expand designated interleague matchups to three-game sets hosted by each team next season.
