Twins defeat Diamondbacks 16-8 as Buxton hits grand slam

Byron Buxton delivered a grand slam in a ten‑run fifth inning, leading the Minnesota Twins to a 16‑8 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field in Phoenix on Saturday. Buxton’s blast gave him his third career grand slam and tied the American League lead with 24 home runs. The Twins amassed 20 hits, with the No. 6‑9 batters contributing 13 of them, and recorded 16 hits in the fourth and fifth innings alone.

Arizona starter Zac Gallen was charged with nine runs in 4⅔ innings, while reliever Yilber Díaz allowed the grand slam. The Diamondbacks’ Ildemaro Vargas hit a three‑run double in the seventh. Both teams entered the series finale without announced starters.

The game came amid injury concerns for Arizona: right‑hander Michael Soroka left his previous start after one inning due to a left glute strain and was placed on the 15‑day injured list, and outfielder Jordan Lawlar suffered a right hamstring strain and was moved to the 10‑day list. The Twins also dealt with several players on the IL, but the win marked their fifth victory in six games.

The matchup was televised on Peacock and streamed on various platforms, with betting odds favoring the Diamondbacks (-136) before the game.