Royce Lewis Delivers First Career Walk-Off as Twins Outlast Rockies in Thriller

The Minnesota Twins overcame a stunning late-game collapse to secure one of their most memorable victories of the season, defeating the Colorado Rockies 9-8 in 10 innings Friday night at Target Field. Royce Lewis provided the decisive moment, delivering the first walk-off hit of his major league career after the Twins regrouped from surrendering a seven-run lead.

Minnesota appeared destined for a comfortable victory after building a commanding advantage through the first five innings behind timely power hitting and another impressive outing from starting pitcher Taj Bradley. The Twins controlled nearly every aspect of the game before Colorado mounted an unexpected comeback in the final innings.

The Rockies erased the deficit with an explosive offensive surge that stunned the home crowd and briefly put Colorado ahead entering the bottom of the ninth inning. Instead of allowing the game to slip away, however, the Twins responded immediately to force extra innings before Lewis ended the contest with one swing.

The victory marked Minnesota’s first walk-off win of the season and continued the club’s recent stretch of strong play. Having now won seven of its last 11 games, the Twins showed resilience by recovering from one of their toughest bullpen collapses of the year.

1. Twins Build Early Commanding Lead

Minnesota’s offense wasted little time establishing control of the game. Kody Clemens opened the scoring with a two-run home run in the first inning, giving the Twins an early advantage and energizing the Target Field crowd. The offense continued producing in the second inning when Brooks Lee connected for another two-run homer. The back-to-back power displays gave Minnesota a comfortable cushion while placing immediate pressure on Colorado’s pitching staff. The Twins continued adding to their lead throughout the middle innings. Byron Buxton drove in Trevor Larnach with a run-scoring double before Josh Bell contributed a two-run double during a three-run fifth inning that extended Minnesota’s lead to 7-0. Meanwhile, Bradley delivered one of his strongest starts of the season. The right-hander limited Colorado’s offense to just two runs on three hits over more than seven innings while striking out seven batters and walking three. Along the way, he reached the milestone of 500 career strikeouts and pitched into the eighth inning for the first time this year.

2. Rockies Stage Stunning Late Comeback

Everything changed once Bradley exited the game. Colorado immediately capitalized against Minnesota’s bullpen, beginning its rally with three runs in the eighth inning to cut into what had once been a seemingly insurmountable deficit. The ninth inning brought even more drama. Jake McCarthy launched a three-run home run to quickly narrow the gap before Hunter Goodman followed with a towering 451-foot, two-run blast that suddenly gave the Rockies an 8-7 lead. The collapse was particularly difficult for Minnesota because Anthony Banda had been one of the club’s most reliable relievers throughout the season. Goodman handed Banda his second blown save of the year after the left-hander had not allowed a run over his previous 18 appearances. Rather than allowing frustration to take over, the Twins responded with composure. Pinch hitters Austin Martin and Ryan Kreidler both reached base before Buxton hit a high bouncing ball over third base, allowing the tying run to score and forcing the game into extra innings.

3. Lewis Delivers Memorable Finish

The game remained tense entering the 10th inning as both teams searched for one final breakthrough. Minnesota first needed a defensive stop, and it came thanks to an outstanding play from shortstop Tristan Gray. After fielding a ground ball on the infield grass, Gray quickly threw home to retire Tyler Freeman at the plate, preserving the tie and preventing Colorado from reclaiming the lead. The defensive gem gave the Twins an opportunity to win the game in the bottom half of the inning. Minnesota wasted little time creating another scoring chance. Kyler Fedko, who had entered earlier as a pinch-runner for Bell, advanced to third base on a wild pitch, placing the winning run just 90 feet away with Lewis stepping to the plate. Lewis delivered in the biggest moment of the night, lining a single through the middle against reliever Jimmy Herget to drive home the winning run. The clutch hit not only sealed a dramatic 9-8 victory but also marked the first walk-off hit of Lewis’ major league career, giving the Twins one of their most satisfying wins of the season.