Buxton hits 3-run HR, Bradley has 8 strikeouts to help Twins beat Nationals 11-3

By: The Associated Press Posted: 8:48 PM CDT Tuesday, May. 5, 2026 Last Modified: 9:11 PM CDT Tuesday, May. 5, 2026

WASHINGTON (AP) — Byron Buxton hit a three-run homer, Brooks Lee drove in three runs and Taj Bradley struck out eight in six solid innings to help the Minnesota Twins beat the Washington Nationals 11-3 on Tuesday night.

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Buxton’s homer, his sixth in the last eight games and 11th this season, made it 10-3 in the eighth. Lee was 3 for 5 with two doubles and Trevor Larnach added two hits and two RBIs.

Bradley (4-1) gave up two runs and four hits and walked two.

Minnesota Twins' Luke Keaschall (15) and Kody Clemens, center, celebrate with Royce Lewis (23) after scoring against the Washington Nationals on a double hit by Brooks Lee during the second inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, May 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)

Cade Cavalli (1-2) gave up six runs — three earned — in four innings for the Nationals, who are 4-13 at home this season.

Kody Clemens was hit by a pitch with two outs in the second and Luke Keaschall followed with an infield single before Lee doubled down right field line to give the Twins a 2-1 lead.

Austin Martin singled before Clemens and Keaschall each walked to load the bases with no outs in the fourth. Martin scored when Lee reached on a fielding error by Cavalli and a sacrifice fly by Royce Lewis drove in Clemens before Larnach’s two-run double made it 6-1.

Daylen Lile walked, moved to third when Curtis Mead doubled and scored when CJ Abrams reached on a fielder’s choice to give the Nationals a 1-0 lead in the first inning.

Mead’s double in the fifth drove in Lile.

Mead and José Tena each went 2 for 4 with a double.

Josh Bell singled to drive in Ryan Jeffers, who led off the seventh with a double, to make it 7-2.

James Wood hit a liner off the top of the wall in left for a double that drove in Tena in the bottom of the inning and cut the Nationals’ deficit to 7-3.

Up next

Minnesota RHP Bailey Ober (3-1, 3.55 ERA) starts Wednesday against Miles Mikolas (0-3, 8.23) in the second of a three-game series.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb