Twins’ confirmed home run against Taylor Rogers gives the SF Giants a 4-2 defeat

Carlos Santana (30) of the Minnesota Twins runs the bases after hitting a solo home run against the San Francisco Giants in the sixth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

SAN FRANCISCO – A video replay confirmed one of the Twins’ two possible home runs against Taylor Rogers in the sixth inning Saturday afternoon at Oracle Park, enough to hand the Giants a 4-2 loss and even their series at 0-1.

The score was tied 2-2 when Carlos Santana hit a home run around the left field foul post that was ruled fair after extensive video review. One batter later, they did the same thing when Max Kepler sent a ball into McCovey Cove that was ruled a foul and later upheld. That decision proved inconsequential, however, as the Giants scored just two runs on eight hits against Simeon Woods Richardson and the Twins bullpen.

Patrick Bailey hit a fly ball with two outs in the eighth inning that traveled farther than any of the possible home runs, but he was left standing on third base when the potential tying run became available after Matt Chapman singled to end the inning. Bailey’s 417-foot triple would have been a home run in all 29 other ballparks, according to Statcast.

The Twins extended their lead with a run in the ninth inning against Sean Hjelle, who allowed the first three batters to reach base.

It was the Giants’ 50th loss of the season, meaning they will enter the All-Star break with a record no more than three games under .500. They must win Sunday’s finale to avoid ending the first half with their third straight loss.

Rogers entered a tie game after Giants starter Hayden Birdsong allowed two runs (one earned) in five innings, allowing just two hits but being marred by three walks. Both of the Twins’ runs against Birdsong came in the fourth inning after he hit the leadoff batter and Mike Yastrzemski misplayed Matt Wallner’s double to right field.

Yastrzemski made quick amends in the second half of the inning, edging an infield single that brought home Michael Conforto from third base after a ground-rule double by Wilmer Flores gave them runners on second and third base. Yastrzemski and Bailey singled in their first at-bat and were the only Giants to reach base multiple times.

Heliot Ramos extended his hitting streak to nine games by bringing home a single in the fifth inning from Jorge Soler to tie the score at 2-2 after Soler opened the inning with his 13th double since early June, only being beaten by Jonathan India of the Reds during that span.

Rogers’ worst performance in two months – and the first home run he allowed since April 27 – happened to come against the team he spent most of his career with and that paid him pregame tribute last season when the Giants visited Target Field.

The 33-year-old left-hander had lowered his ERA to 1.98 in his 40th appearance of the year and limited opponents to one run in 21 games since May 13. But after taking Wallner out of the game with four pitches for the first out in the sixth inning, Rogers fell behind 3-1 against Santana and then threw a sweeper that caught too much of the plate.

The ball landed in the stands in foul territory, but the replay room at MLB headquarters in New York determined that its trajectory went around the pole.