It's fitting that Jake Cave was the offensive star for the Minnesota Twins on Sunday because it appears the Giants' 2022 MLB season is caving in on them.
Cave led the charge with a homer, double and four RBI as the Giants lost 8-3 to the Twins at Target Field in the series finale. Minnesota completed the three-game sweep, dropping the Giants to 61-65 this season.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Jakob Junis was coming off two of his best starts of the season, but he was roughed up by the Twins, who pounded out nine hits and scored six runs against him. He didn't walk any batters and only struck out two in 4 1/3 innings.
The Giants struck first in the third inning when LaMonte Wade Jr. hit a ground-rule double to left scoring Austin Slater. The Twins answered right back in the bottom half of the inning when Carlos Correa doubled home Gilberto Celestino.
Wilmer Flores walked with the bases loaded in the fourth to give the Giants the lead but, again, the Twins had a response as Cave crushed a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth.
Brandon Crawford tied the game in the fifth with a single to right, bringing home Evan Longoria.
It was a costly run for the Giants because Longoria didn't look right when coming home to score and he was immediately removed from the game with hamstring tightness.
The 36-year-old has made three separate trips to the IL this season, so the Giants have to be hoping a fourth stint isn't in his future.
The Twins' answer in the bottom of the fifth inning blew the game open and sealed the Giants' fate. Minnesota had four run-scoring doubles in the inning en route to a five-run frame.
The Giants, who lost the last four games of the road trip, will fly home after the game and open a three-game series against the San Diego Padres on Monday at Oracle Park. Carlos Rodón, Logan Webb, and Alex Wood are slated to take the mound in the three games.
