Braves rally in 10th inning for series win over Twins

MINNEAPOLIS — It wasn’t exactly how they drew it up, but nobody in the Atlanta clubhouse was complaining.

The Braves blew a late four-run lead, but they rallied for four more runs in the 10th inning and held on to beat the Twins, 8-6, on Tuesday night at Target Field.

“That’s a good win,” manager Brian Snitker said. “It was going to be a costly loss, quite honestly. Now, it’s a good win.”

Atlanta, which secured a series win and has won five of its last six games, led 4-0 going into the seventh inning thanks to a two-run homer by Michael Harris II in the second and a two-run single by Marcell Ozuna in the fifth.

But Minnesota rallied for three in the seventh and then tied the game the hardest way possible — against Raisel Iglesias. The Braves’ red-hot closer came on with a runner on second and two outs in the eighth.

Although opponents were hitting just .073 with runners in scoring position against Iglesias, Trevor Larnach dropped a looping liner just in front of a hard-charging Jarred Kelenic in left field, tying the game at 4. It was the first hit allowed by Iglesias since July 27, a span of 13 innings in 11 appearances.

“Iggy made a good pitch. The ball’s just out of the reach right there,” Snitker said. “We get out of that inning and he probably seals the deal in the ninth.”

Indeed, Iglesias did turn his first blown save since May 3 into a victory by pitching a 1-2-3 ninth inning, then watching his team erupt for four runs in the top of the 10th against Jhoan Duran. The Twins’ closer threw 12 pitches over 100 mph on Tuesday, but the Braves put together a string of professional at-bats to beat him.

“We knew we were getting some heat, and were able to fight off the good offspeed pitches, too,” said Travis d’Arnaud, who logged an RBI single in the four-run 10th inning. “Just competitive at-bats throughout. I think everybody felt bad that we gave up the lead and wanted to make sure we ended with a win.”

Ozuna led off the 10th with a drive to right-center that center fielder Austin Martin couldn’t catch up to at the wall. Automatic runner Kelenic was tagging up on the play, so he only made it to third base on Ozuna’s double.

Matt Olson followed with a chopper to second, and Kelenic slid home well ahead of second baseman Edouard Julien’s throw, which was too high for catcher Ryan Jeffers to attempt a tag.

The Braves tacked on three more runs from there with d’Arnaud’s RBI single and a two-run double by Ramón Laureano.

Atlanta now has four extra-inning wins in the month of August, and d’Arnaud has driven in runs in the 10th inning in three of them.

“He’s a clutch hitter. Every time he’s got the situation in that spot, he’ll do something. He’ll do some damage,” Ozuna said. “I always talk to him and ask him how you approach those [at-bats]. ‘I don’t try to do too much. I just try to stay up the middle and if it happens, it happens.’ And it happens to him every single time.”

d’Arnaud said he’s got a secret weapon in those situations — his ability to relax.

The Braves, who have now won eight of their last 10 games, will send NL Cy Young candidate Chris Sale to the mound on Wednesday night as they look to sweep the Twins. For a team that’s suffered so many injuries and welcomed so many new faces to the clubhouse in recent weeks, Atlanta has the look of a club that’s been playing together for years.

And with a four-game series at first-place Philadelphia on the horizon, the Braves have picked the right time to be playing their best baseball.

“We always play the game like a playoff [matchup],” Ozuna said. “We always build and prepare for what’s next coming up.”