Marlins Ambush Twins Behind Meyer’s Dominance

The Miami Marlins came to Minneapolis on Wednesday and reminded the Minnesota Twins that early-season pitching breakdowns can cost you ballgames. Behind Max Meyer‘s commanding five-plus innings and a relentless offensive assault in the middle innings, Miami rolled to a 9-5 victory at Target Field, exposing serious questions about the Twins’ depth on the mound.

Meyer Dominates While Twins’ Starter Implodes

Max Meyer was simply excellent, striking out nine batters over 5.2 innings while allowing just four earned runs on seven hits and two walks. That’s the kind of performance that keeps teams in ballgames, and Meyer gave the Marlins exactly what they needed: clean innings with overpowering stuff. Meanwhile, Twins starter Simeon Woods Richardson lasted just three innings, surrendering six earned runs on seven hits while walking four batters. In baseball, when your starting pitcher can’t get out of the third inning, you’re not winning many games, and the Twins learned that lesson the hard way.

Richardson’s inability to locate his fastball early created chaos from the jump. The Marlins’ lineup, which isn’t exactly known for patience, made him work hard and didn’t miss opportunities when they came. This was supposed to be a chance for the young Twins arm to prove something, and instead it became an extended audition for the Triple-A rotation.

Fourth Inning Explosion Seals the Deal

The decisive blow came in the fourth inning, when the Marlins’ lineup turned into a buzzsaw. Joe Mack singled sharply, Xavier Edwards doubled off the wall, and then Liam Hicks delivered the knockout punch with a two-run single that made it 6-2 Miami. That sequence perfectly encapsulated why the Marlins won: they didn’t beat themselves, they didn’t rely on cheap home runs, they executed baseball with precision and aggression.

Liam Hicks was the silent killer in this game, finishing 1-for-5 but driving in three runs through a combination of a single and a fielder’s choice. That’s the kind of productive at-bat that shows a player understands situational baseball. Owen Caissie also contributed with a two-run homer in the second inning, adding to the early momentum Miami built.

The Twins got a consolation prize in the form of Byron Buxton‘s two-home run performance. Buxton belted solo shots in the first and third innings, and while they were impressive from a pure power perspective, they only served to make the final score slightly less embarrassing. Two homers in a losing effort isn’t the narrative Buxton or the Twins wanted to write on Wednesday.

Josh Bell’s two-run double in the fifth inning gave Minnesota momentary hope, closing the gap to 6-4, but it was too little too late. The Marlins had already done their damage, and Meyer was too good for the Twins to mount any serious comeback.

This game revealed something important about the 2026 AL Central race. The Twins have pop in their lineup, but their rotation appears fragile. The Marlins, meanwhile, showed they can beat teams convincingly when everything clicks, particularly when they have a starter performing at Meyer’s level. For Minnesota, this loss stings because it wasn’t close despite the home run totals. That’s the difference between good teams and great teams: consistency and execution. The Twins got neither on Wednesday.