NEW YORK (Interstat) — The Minnesota Twins scored four unanswered runs Tuesday night, rallying for a 5-3 victory over the New York Mets at Citi Field. Francisco Lindor’s three-run homer in the third inning gave the Mets a 3-0 lead, but the Twins chipped away. Byron Buxton hit a two-run homer in the sixth before Luke Keaschall’s RBI single tied it in the seventh. Keaschall delivered again in the ninth, driving in the go-ahead run with another single ahead of a bases-loaded walk to Matt Wallner. Cole Sands earned the win with two perfect innings of relief for the Twins. Mets starter Nolan McLean struck out 10 but took a no-decision, allowing three runs over 6 2/3 innings. Devin Williams took the loss. Attendance was 32,798. The Twins improved to 12-11, while the Mets fell to 7-16.

NEW YORK (Interstat) — Byron Buxton’s two-run homer in the sixth inning erased a three-run deficit and sparked the Minnesota Twins to a 5-3 comeback victory over the struggling New York Mets on Tuesday night at Citi Field. The Twins, who had lost three straight and four of their last five, rallied from an early hole to snap their skid and improve to 12-11. The Mets, meanwhile, saw their losing streak reach five games, falling to a major league-worst 7-16. For five innings, the game belonged to Mets starter Nolan McLean and his offense’s lone burst. McLean dominated the Twins’ lineup, striking out 10 while allowing just five hits. His support came in the third inning when Francisco Lindor launched a three-run homer off Twins starter Simeon Woods Richardson. Lindor’s second home run of the season followed a walk to Marcus Semien and a force out by Carson Benge, staking the Mets to a 3-0 lead that felt substantial the way McLean was pitching. The momentum shifted decisively in the sixth. Matt Wallner led off with a single, and one out later, Buxton stepped in. On a 1-1 pitch from McLean, Buxton connected, sending a towering fly ball to left field that cleared the fence for his fourth homer of the year, cutting the deficit to 3-2. The blast seemed to crack McLean’s armor, and Trevor Larnach followed with another single, ending the right-hander’s night after 6 2/3 innings. Minnesota tied the game an inning later against reliever Devin Williams. Kody Clemens sparked the rally with a one-out double, and rookie Luke Keaschall delivered a clutch single to center, scoring Clemens to knot the game at 3-3. The Twins’ bullpen, led by winner Cole Sands, was flawless in preserving the tie. Sands worked two perfect innings of relief, striking out three. Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax followed with a scoreless eighth, setting the stage for Minnesota’s ninth-inning rally against Williams. Williams, who took the loss to fall to 0-1, completely lost his command in the ninth. He walked Josh Bell and Ryan Jeffers to start the inning. Clemens then laid down a sacrifice bunt, but Williams’ throw to third in an attempt to get the lead runner was not in time, loading the bases with no outs. Keaschall, again in the middle of the action, grounded a single through the left side off reliever Huascar Brazobán to score pinch-runner James Outman and give Minnesota its first lead at 4-3. Matt Wallner then worked a bases-loaded walk to force in another run, making it 5-3. Closer Jhoan Duran returned for the ninth and slammed the door, striking out two in a perfect frame to secure the win. Sands earned the victory, improving to 1-1. The Mets’ offense, after Lindor’s third-inning homer, mustered just one single over the final six innings against the Twins’ bullpen quartet of Sands, Steven Okert, Duran and Jax. New York finished with just four hits total and went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position. The announced attendance was 32,798, and the game time was 2 hours, 41 minutes. The most important part of the game was Buxton’s two-run homer in the top of the sixth inning. It transformed the contest, halving the Mets’ lead and, more critically, breaking the spell of dominance cast by Mets starter Nolan McLean. Prior to that swing, McLean had struck out 10 Twins and allowed only three hits, cruising with a 3-0 advantage. Buxton’s blast provided the Twins their first runs, injected energy into their dugout, and immediately put pressure on a Mets team reeling from recent losses. It shifted the game’s narrative from a potential Mets cruise to a tight contest, directly enabling the subsequent tying and winning rallies. Without that home run, the Twins’ later efforts likely would have been insufficient, making it the pivotal moment that changed the trajectory of the entire game. The teams continue their three-game series Wednesday night.

Twins, Mets Set for Series Opener at Chilly Citi Field NEW YORK (Interstat) — The Minnesota Twins and New York Mets, two teams seeking consistency in the early season, open a three-game series Tuesday night at Citi Field. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. EDT under cloudy skies with temperatures around 45 degrees. The Twins (11-11) arrive after a frustrating weekend, dropping three straight one-run games to the Cincinnati Reds, including a 7-4, 10-inning loss Sunday. Minnesota’s bullpen faltered late after a stellar start from Bailey Ober, who struck out 10 over 6 1/3 scoreless innings. Ober, a player to watch, has been a bright spot. In his last outing, he allowed just three hits and no earned runs while recording double-digit strikeouts. Minnesota will send right-hander Mick Abel (1-2) to the mound. The Mets counter with right-hander Nolan McLean (1-1). The Mets (7-15) are mired in a deeper slump, having lost five straight and 10 of their last 11. They fell 2-1 in 10 innings at Chicago on Sunday. A player to watch for New York, left-hander David Peterson, provided a solid relief appearance in that loss, throwing 3 2/3 scoreless innings. Peterson’s recent transition to the bullpen has been one of the few steady elements for a struggling Mets pitching staff. Despite their poor record, the Mets are installed as pregame favorites with a spread of -1.5. The over/under is 7.5 runs. National Statistical’s game simulator projects a 4-0 Twins victory. The series continues Wednesday and Thursday before the Twins travel to Tampa Bay and the Mets host Colorado.