MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Alex Kirilloff hit two of Minnesota’s season-high five home runs to lead the Twins to an 11-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday.
Joey Gallo, Jorge Polanco and Carlos Correa also homered for the Twins, who provided plenty of run support for Joe Ryan (6-1). Ryan struck out 10 in six scoreless innings, including striking out the side in the sixth.
“It just kept coming and we kept hitting, so it was awesome to have that,” Ryan said of the run support. “It’s good to see us putting up some good runs there. It was awesome.”
Kirilloff, appearing in just his seventh game this season, opened the scoring with an opposite-field solo shot to left in the first. His second homer came three pitches after Gallo’s towering drive to the second deck in right-center in the third.
It was Kirilloff’s third career multi-homer game and his first since July 5. The 2016 first-round pick made his season debut on May 6 and had yet to collect an extra-base hit in his first six games.
Kirilloff was limited to 45 games last season due to a left wrist injury, but he’s showing he’s fully healthy.
“He has real ability to affect the game offensively,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said of Kirilloff. “He’s shown us that as a young player. He’s shown us that in the big leagues. Now he’s here in a real nice spot, feeling great, swinging the bat great.”
Gallo’s home run was his eighth of the year, tying Byron Buxton for the team high. His deep blast in the third inning drew a noticeable reaction from Cubs starter Hayden Wesneski (2-2).
“I threw it and I go, ‘No.’ I knew better,” Wesneski said. “I knew what was about to happen, pretty much.”
Polanco capped a 10-pitch at-bat against Wesneski with a two-run homer to right that drove in Kirilloff for a 7-0 lead. Correa joined the home run party with a solo blast into the bullpens in left-center in the seventh.
