Pablo Lopez tossed six strong innings Wednesday afternoon as the visiting Minnesota Twins salvaged the finale of a three-game interleague series with an 8-3 victory over the New York Mets.
Matt Wallner went 2-for-5 with a two-run homer for the Twins, who lost a series for just the sixth time in 20 tries dating to May 20.
Mark Vientos hit a two-run homer and Francisco Alvarez had an RBI for the Mets, who finished July at 17-10, the second-best record in the National League.
Lopez (10-7) gave up two runs on three hits and three walks while striking out seven. He retired 14 of the final 17 batters he faced, a span in which Lopez did not allow a runner past first base.
Cole Sands and Randy Dobnak tossed a scoreless inning before Jhoan Duran gave up a run in the ninth in a non-save situation.
Bryon Buxton hit a one-out homer in the second and Vientos responded with his two-run shot in the bottom of the inning.
In the third, the first five Twins reached during a five-run outburst against Mets starter Luis Severino (7-4).
Austin Martin singled, stole second and scored on Trevor Larnach’s single. Larnach also stole second and scored on a single by Max Kepler, who came home on Royce Lewis’ double. Wallner homered two pitches later.
Wallner doubled with one out in the fifth and scored on Carlos Santana’s two-out double.
The Twins added another run in the eighth, when Buxton was hit by a pitch, went to third on Santana’s single and scored when Santana was forced at second on Ryan Jeffers’ grounder.
Every Twins starter had at least one hit except Jeffers. Santana reached three times in four plate appearances.
Luis Torrens singled with one out in the ninth against Duran, went to second on Jose Iglesias’ double and scored on Alvarez’s groundout.
Jeff McNeil had a pair of singles for the Mets.
Severino allowed six runs on six hits and two walks while striking out two over three innings.