The Twins fell to the Marlins 4-1 on July 3, 2025, as Matt Wallner's solo homer was the only highlight against a dominant Eury Pérez. Read the game recap.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
The Minnesota Twins limped into the Fourth of July weekend, dropping the finale of their six-game road trip to the Miami Marlins 4-1 on Thursday. A massive solo shot from Matt Wallner was the lone highlight in a game dominated by Marlins pitching, capping a frustrating 2-4 road swing that saw the offense go quiet at the worst possible times.
Matt Wallner provided the Twins' only run with a 430-foot solo home run to center field, his eighth of the season.
The game was nearly over before it began. Twins starter David Festa ran into immediate trouble in the first inning, and the Marlins made him pay. A three-run frame, punctuated by Agustín Ramírez's two-run homer, put Minnesota in a deep hole. Festa settled down to complete six innings, but the damage was done. Miami's starter, Eury Pérez, was simply untouchable, carving up the Twins' lineup for six innings of one-hit ball while striking out seven. The offensive futility was widespread, as Kyle Stowers saw his nine-game hitting streak snapped with an 0-for-3 day.
In a game defined by Minnesota's offensive struggles, Matt Wallner provided a brief but memorable moment of excitement. In the top of the seventh, Wallner turned on a pitch and launched a towering 430-foot home run to dead center, breaking up Miami's shutout bid. The blast, which left the bat at 108.3 mph, was Wallner's eighth of the year and a powerful reminder of the pop this lineup possesses, even if it was dormant for most of the day.
The on-field struggles weren't the only news, as the Twins' roster has been in flux. The team placed starter Bailey Ober on the 15-day IL with a left hip impingement, a significant blow to the rotation. In his place, LHP Kody Funderburk was recalled from St. Paul. More notably, Royce Lewis was activated from the IL on July 1 after recovering from a hamstring strain. While Lewis has struggled to a .202 average this season, his return couldn't be more timely. With the offense sputtering, the Twins desperately need their former top prospect to find his form and provide the spark he's capable of.
The six-game road trip is thankfully in the rearview mirror. The Twins will look to wash away the disappointment of this 2-4 stretch as they return to the friendly confines of Target Field for a holiday weekend series against the Tampa Bay Rays. With Chris Paddack on the mound Friday, the hope is that some home cooking is exactly what this slumbering offense needs to wake up and get the second half of the season started on the right foot.
