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France homers, drives in 3 runs as Padres beat Twins 6-2
Home team secured a victory with potent offense and pitching; its wild-card position held as the opponent's bid weakened
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SAN DIEGO (AP) — Ty France homered and drove in three runs and Randy Vásquez and two relievers combined on a two-hitter as the San Diego Padres beat the Minnesota Twins 6-2 Friday night in the opener of a three-game series between teams fighting for wild-card berths.
The Padres held onto the National League's third wild card while the Twins dropped one game behind Texas in the race for the American League's third wild card.
Vásquez (9-6) matched his career long with seven innings while allowing two runs and two hits. He struck out three and walked none. Bradgley Rodriguez pitched a perfect eighth and Mason Miller struck out the side in the ninth.
The Padres retired the final 16 Twins batters.
San Diego won for the ninth time in 12 games and for the 19th time in 26.
The Twins, coming off a three-game sweep of the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves, lost for the fourth time in seven games.
France hit a two-run homer to left with two outs in the first off left-hander Connor Prielipp (3-7). It was his 18th and Manny Machado was aboard on a single.
Vásquez's only big mistake was allowing Kody Clemens' two-run triple off the right field wall with two outs in the fourth tie the game.
The Padres rallied for three runs in the fifth on four hits, a walk and a sacrifice fly. Tatis, Luis Rengifo and Machado hit consecutive RBI singles with one out and France followed with a sacrifice fly.
Prielipp allowed six runs and eight hits in six innings, struck out seven and walked two.
Up next
Twins RHP Dean Kremer (2-4, 5.40 ERA) and Padres RHP Casey Mize (5-7, 3.18) were scheduled to start Saturday night.
See AP’s full MLB coverage here
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