Luke Keaschall Touts Minnesota Twins' Strong Brotherhood In Bounce-Back Win Over Braves

The Minnesota Twins did not have the series they were hoping for against the Philadelphia Phillies, suffering a three-game sweep over the weekend. 

Still, the team refused to let that bog them down on Monday as they generated nine hits and two walks off Atlanta Braves starting left-hander Martín Pérez in five innings to come out on top with a 4-2 victory.

Luke Keaschall, who batted leadoff for the first time this season, credited the Twins' strong chemistry amid times of adversity.

"I know we got swept last series but everyone was in good spirits, happy to be around each other, and I think that's just a testament of the friendships that we have in here, and everybody kind of liking each other and getting along," he said, according to MLB.com. "So it makes it easier to ride the highs and lows together all the way."

Keaschall went 2-for-5 on the night, recording a first inning double that sparked a four-run rally in which a ground rule double by Josh Bell drove in Keaschall and Byron Buxton for an early 2-0 lead.

Royce Lewis joined in the action with an RBI single, bringing home Ryan Jeffers while Kody Clemens scored Bell with an RBI single of his own to conclude the barrage.

Minnesota right-hander Bailey Ober stood his ground until the fifth when Ronald Acuña Jr. answered back for the Braves with an RBI single that knocked in Austin Riley and Drake Baldwin and cut the Twins' lead in half.

Besides their offense, Minnesota's bullpen was also key in the team limiting their losing streak to three games.

Taylor Rogers would induce weak contact from Matt Olson and Michael Harris II to clean up the mess left behind by Ober. Meanwhile, Travis Adams fanned a pair of batters in Mauricio Dubón and Ozzie Albies during the sixth. Adams also got Riley down swinging in the seventh while retiring Jim Jarvis and Baldwin.

Jeff Hoffman toed the rubber in the eighth but got himself into a jam when he gave up a double to Olson and issued a walk to Dubón. Olson would also advance to third base off a groundout by Harris II. Nonetheless, Hoffman escaped unscathed as Albies flied out to end the inning.

A couple defensive miscues from Atlanta including a hit by pitch to Brooks Lee and a throwing error by reliever Ray Kerr gave Minnesota the chance to back Hoffman.

However, Kerr held on and swiftly retired three hitters.

Yoendrys Gómez then sealed the Braves' fate in the ninth to earn his 18th save of the season.

"It was good to get the bats going in the first," Keaschall said. "Wish we could’ve tacked more on in the end there, but the pitching held it down nice for us."

The Twins will be back in action tonight at 7:40 p.m. EDT as right-hander Zebby Matthews takes the mound against Atlanta's Tyler Mahle.