Padres Force MLB Pitch Count Record, Beat Twins 12-3

The Minnesota Twins and San Diego Padres faced off in a pivotal series late in the season, with the Twins winning the rubber match 7-2 behind a strong performance from Byron Buxton, who hit his career-high 29th home run, and Joe Ryan, who pitched seven scoreless innings. Despite this, the Padres had a dominant blowout 12-3 victory earlier in the series, fueled by Elias Diaz's two home runs and a seven-run seventh inning that capitalized on the Twins' bullpen struggles. The Padres' offensive assault in that game forced the Twins to throw a record 226 pitches, the most ever in a nine-inning MLB game since pitch counts have been officially recorded. The Padres remain in a tight race for the NL West lead, sitting just one game behind the Dodgers, while the Twins have unexpectedly challenged division leaders despite an otherwise disappointing season. Key moments included the Twins' bullpen faltering in the later innings, allowing the Padres to score 11 runs over three innings in the blowout. Injuries also affected the Padres, with star right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. leaving the game after a hamstring issue.