TWINS 4, MARINERS 2
Mitch Garver hit the go-ahead home run in the seventh for Minnesota, one inning after Miguel Sano tied it with a two-run shot in the Twins’ chilly home opener.
Eddie Rosario went deep in the eighth to pad the lead, and Fernando Rodney worked the ninth for his first save with the Twins. That capped a stretch of 4 2/3 scoreless innings by the bullpen in relief of Kyle Gibson. Zach Duke (1-0) was the winner, and Addison Reed struck out two in a perfect eighth.
James Paxton started strong for the Mariners with five scoreless innings after a first-pitch temperature of 38 degrees and a startling moment during the pregame ceremony. The bald eagle that was supposed to fly to the mound before the national anthem instead circled Paxton, a Canadian, where he was standing alone in left field on a break from his warmup throws. The bird would up landing its large talons on the leftu’s left shouleer, before being lured away by the handler.
Garver’s drive, his first major league homer, reached the second deck against Dan Altavilla (0-1).
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