Bell homered in the first inning as Minnesota beat Atlanta 4-1 on Tuesday night.
The Minnesota Twins scored early on Tuesday and the bullpen helped keep their lead.
Ryan Jeffers doubled to right in the bottom of the first with two outs, the ball deflecting off center fielder Michael Harris II, and Josh Bell followed with a two-run home run to right center that gave Minnesota a 2-0 lead before most fans had settled into their seats.
It was Bell's 17th homer of the season, and manager Derek Shelton said afterward that he was happy Bell did what he did but that what Bell means in the clubhouse is just as important.
Bell finished the night 2-for-4, and his presence in the middle of the lineup has been a steady part of the Twins' offense over the past several weeks.
Matthews and the Bullpen Hold
Zebby Matthews gave Minnesota 5.2 innings of one-run ball, allowing five hits and striking out four.
The lone run he gave up came on a solo home run by Drake Baldwin in the sixth, which cut the lead to 2-1.
Kody Funderburk came in and struck out Lane Thomas to end the threat, and from there the Minnesota bullpen was dominant.
Andrew Morris worked a scoreless seventh, A.J. Minter handled the eighth, and Yoendrys Gomez locked down the ninth for his 19th save of the season.
"That bullpen that we had in San Diego was unbelievable," Bell said. "With the additions that we made, we've definitely taken that step forward. It seems like all we need to do is get the lead early, and then let our bullpen take the reins and take us home."
That confidence in the arms behind him reflects a group that has started to believe in each other down the stretch, which is something Minnesota lacked at times earlier in the season when close games slipped away.
The Playoff Picture Gets Tighter
The Twins broke the game open in the eighth when Kaelen Culpepper singled and Byron Buxton came off the bench to single as well, setting up Jeffers for a two-run double to center that made it 4-1.
It was Jeffers' 14th double of the year.
A first-inning home run does more than add two runs to the scoreboard.
It changes the tone of the entire night, and it gave Matthews the cushion he needed to settle in and pitch deep into the game without having to work from behind.
The win pushed Minnesota to 62-65, which puts them four games back of the White Sox in the American League Central and right in the middle of a crowded group fighting for a wild card spot.
The Guardians and Tigers are both at 61-65, so every game matters from here on out.
The Twins will try to sweep the series on Wednesday afternoon before an off day Thursday and then a trip to San Diego starting Friday night.
Bell's two-way value as a hitter and a leader makes the stretch run a lot more manageable for a team that needs both right now.
