MINNEAPOLIS — Matt Wallner hit a two-run homer within the backside of the ninth inning Sunday to offer the Minnesota Twins a rain-delayed 5-3 victory and a three-game sweep of the skidding Arizona Diamondbacks.

Christian Walker had put the Diamondbacks forward 3-2 with a solo dwelling run within the prime of the ninth.

Max Kepler led off the underside half by hitting his third homer in three video games. Jorge Polanco walked and Wallner despatched a hovering drive off the dealing with of the right-center scoreboard off new Arizona nearer Paul Sewald (3-2), who was acquired from Seattle in a commerce Monday.

“With us struggling, and finally getting that chance to try and get off this losing streak and get called upon to do what I’m supposed to do and then fail miserably, it’s disappointing,” Sewald mentioned.

Wallner’s dwelling run was no shock to Kepler, nonetheless.

“He’s legit,” Kepler mentioned of his rookie teammate. “He’s a beast. A big ceiling for him.”

PHOTOS: Twins sweep Diamondbacks on Wallner's walk-off homer in ninth inning

Minnesota handed the Diamondbacks their sixth straight defeat and opened a 4 1/2-game lead within the AL Central over Cleveland.

“We pitched well, we pitched well situationally, we made plays,” Twins supervisor Rocco Baldelli mentioned. “We just kept doing everything we could to just stay right there in the ballgame.”

Zac Gallen pitched seven sturdy innings for Arizona, permitting two runs and three hits whereas placing out eight.

Dallas Keuchel, the 2015 AL Cy Young Award winner, made his Twins debut and first look within the majors since Sept. 2, 2022, for Texas. He signed a minor league cope with the Twins on June 22 and went 1-0 with a 1.13 ERA in six begins at Triple-A St. Paul.

Against the Diamondbacks - certainly one of three groups he pitched for final yr - Keuchel gave up one run in 5 innings whereas working round eight hits. He walked two and didn't strike out a batter.

“I just kind of wanted to start off on the right foot,” mentioned Keuchel, who joined the Twins when Joe Ryan went on the IL with a groin damage. “I had some nerves that I didn’t really expect. So getting that first out really, really helped.”

Caleb Thielbar (2-1) allowed Walker’s homer within the ninth however obtained the win.

The begin of the sport was delayed 2 hours, 12 minutes, because of inclement climate.

Carlos Correa had a two-run single that put the Twins in entrance 2-1 within the sixth.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. tied it with an RBI double within the seventh.

RUNNING WILD

The Diamondbacks set a franchise report with eight stolen bases. They pulled off three double steals of second and third, and Jake McCarthy and Jace Peterson every stole second within the eighth. Arizona entered third within the majors with 111 steals. However, not one of the eight stolen bases led to runs because the offense stranded 12 runners.

“We talked about creating a little bit of energy on the bases. We’ve been talking about that for a while and it showed up today,” supervisor Torey Lovullo mentioned. “You’re advancing 90 feet and in several cases you’re advancing two players 90 feet. We just couldn’t capitalize. We put ourselves in a really good position. I can’t explain it.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Diamondbacks 2B Ketel Marte exited within the fifth with left quad tightness. He’s day-to-day.

“He probably could have continued playing, but I’ve been asking a lot of him as of late,” Lovullo mentioned. “Just wanted to get him off his feet.”

UP NEXT

Diamondbacks: RHP Brandon Pfaadt (0-5, 7.11 ERA) takes the mound Tuesday night time when Arizona hosts the Dodgers. He’s coming off the most effective begin of his younger profession, when he held the Giants to 1 run over seven innings Thursday.

Twins: RHP Pablo López (6-6, 4.01) faces the Tigers in Detroit on Monday night time. López struck out 10 in his solely begin in opposition to Detroit this yr.

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