Ryan Jeffers, Kody Clemens propel Twins to 5-4 victory over Brewers

Bobby Nightengale, The Minnesota Star Tribune on May 17, 2026

Published in Baseball

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The Twins lineup feels a lot different when they’re missing Byron Buxton, out for the fourth day because of a sore right hip flexor, but Ryan Jeffers and Kody Clemens found a way to inject some power into it.

Jeffers hit a go-ahead solo homer in the fifth inning Sunday, and Clemens delivered a pair of run-scoring doubles to carry the Twins to a 5-4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers at Target Field, salvaging one game in their three-game interleague series.

Five Twins relievers combined to give up one run over four innings behind starter Bailey Ober to secure the Twins’ fifth win in their last eight games. The Brewers, who outhit the Twins 10-6, scored a run on a two-out RBI single from Jake Bauers in the ninth inning, but Luis García induced a foul pop out with runners on the corners to secure his second save.

The Twins (21-26) will continue their nine-game homestand at Target Field with three games against the Houston Astros, a series that begins at 6:40 p.m. Monday.

After the Brewers tied score in the fifth inning, Jeffers greeted Brewers righthanded reliever Grant Anderson with a homer on Anderson’s fourth pitch when he lifted a sweeper into the left field seats. It was Jeffers’ seventh home run of the season and his third in his last eight games.

Jeffers, a free agent at the end of the season, has been one of the best offensive catchers in the majors this year. He hit only nine home runs in 119 games in 2025.

Clemens provided all the run support beforehand in front of an announced 25,375 fans.

After Austin Martin drew a leadoff walk against Brewers lefty starter Robert Gasser, who made his season debut, Clemens laced an RBI double into the right field corner. But the Twins, like they did a few times in their first two games against the Brewers this weekend, failed to sustain a rally.

The Twins loaded the bases with two outs in the first inning after a walk and a hit batsman. The inning ended when Gasser struck out Royce Lewis in a 10-pitch at-bat that included seven foul balls.

It was a 40-pitch first inning for Gasser and, somehow, he gave up only one run. Lewis, batting .132 in 19 games since returning from a knee sprain in April, struck out three times in three at-bats before Trevor Larnach pinch hit for him in the eighth inning.

Jeffers opened the third inning with a single, and Clemens followed with an RBI double to the left field wall. It turned into a Little League-style homer when Brewers shortstop Joey Ortiz airmailed a throw to the plate that bounced into the Twins dugout. That meant Clemens automatically advanced to the plate for a 3-1 lead.

Ober, making his first start since he threw an 89-pitch complete game shutout against the Marlins, labored through five innings. He yielded three runs on six hits and two walks, totaling one strikeout. He started only 12 of his 23 batters with a first-pitch strike, and he generated only three swings and misses.

The Brewers rank last in the majors in home runs (30), but they hit a couple against Ober. Christian Yelich lifted a two-out changeup for a tying solo homer in the fifth inning, Yelich’s second home run of the season.

In the fourth inning, Garrett Mitchell rocketed an 89-mph fastball over the wall in right-center field for a solo home run. The ball left Mitchell’s bat at a scorching 115.5 mph. Ober entered Sunday with only five homers allowed in 52 innings this year, his lowest homer rate since 2022.

The Brewers scored in the second inning after Ober issued a leadoff walk to Bauers. Sal Frelick, the next batter, lined an RBI double that landed past a diving Austin Martin in right field. Ober stranded two runners in scoring position afterward. He helped himself when David Hamilton dropped a sacrifice bunt with a runner on third, but Ober held the runner and recorded the out.

Even on a day when Ober wasn’t his sharpest nor most efficient, he provided some stability. Through 10 starts this season, he has posted a 3.63 ERA.

The Twins craved some consistency in their starting rotation after injuries to Taj Bradley and Mick Abel, and underperformance from Simeon Woods Richardson. Bradley lasted only 1⅔ innings on a rehab start Sunday at Class AAA St. Paul, removed during a 30-pitch second inning after he struck out his last batter.

It’s unclear if a shorter outing will affect Bradley’s timing to return to the Twins rotation. He is eligible to join the Twins as early as Friday in Boston.

Woods Richardson, who has a 0-6 record and a 7.71 ERA, isn’t scheduled to start Monday against the Astros and that naturally creates an opening in the starting rotation. The Twins listed their starter as “TBA,” though it’s possible Woods Richardson could pitch behind an opener.

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