The Twins needed a walk-off, and it came at the perfect time.
Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis lined a walk-off RBI single up the middle in the 10th inning on Friday night, giving the Twins a wild 9-8 win over the Colorado Rockies at Target Field and snapping an 82-game stretch without a walk-off.
It was the first walk-off hit of Lewis' career, and it came on a night that nearly turned into a devastating loss.
The Twins held a 7-0 lead through seven innings before the bullpen gave up three runs in the eighth, and then Colorado erupted for five more in the ninth, capped by Hunter Goodman's 451-foot two-run blast that gave the Rockies an 8-7 lead and left the home crowd stunned.
Shelton Knew How Much It Mattered
After the game, first-year manager Derek Shelton made it clear just how much the win meant for his team.
"Yeah, I mean we needed a walk-off. I think we're one of two teams. I keep hearing we're one of two teams not to have it and it could not have come on a better night because uh that would have been a tough loss and just really proud of our group that they played the ninth and tenth inning the way they did."
Shelton credited pinch-hitters Austin Martin and Ryan Kreidler for sparking the rally with singles in the ninth, and praised Byron Buxton, whose high chopper bounced over the head of Willi Castro at third base to tie the game.
Andrew Morris then pitched a clean 10th before Lewis finished it.
A Turning Point for Lewis
The walk-off continues a strong run for Lewis since the Twins recalled him from Triple-A on June 6.
The former No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 draft was hitting just .163 through 31 games before Minnesota sent him down in late May, a move that many thought could mark the end of his time with the organization.
Lewis responded by posting a .340 average with eight home runs across 13 games at Triple-A St. Paul before earning his way back.
Since returning, Lewis has looked like a different hitter, adding a small timing step to his pre-swing routine that he developed during his minor-league stint and bringing a new level of confidence to the plate.
Why There Is Still Hope
The talent was never the question with Lewis, and when healthy and locked in, he has shown star-level ability, from setting a franchise record with four grand slams in 2023 to helping carry Minnesota through the postseason that year.
The problem has always been durability, as his knee injury earlier this season was his ninth trip to the injured list in four years.
At 39-44 on the season, the Twins sit 4.5 games back in the AL Central and have gone 7-4 in their last 11.
They are not out of it, and if Lewis keeps playing the way he has since his return, Minnesota might have finally found the version of their former top pick that the organization has been waiting on.
