Jonah Bride opened the scoring in a disastrous second inning for Ober, smashing a high fastball into the second deck in left field for a solo home run. Early home runs have been Ober’s weakness in an otherwise solid season. He has allowed 26 home runs this season, including 17 in the first two innings.
With two outs in the second inning, Ober hit Derek Hill on an errant changeup and watched as Otto Lopez hit a single down the right field line. Nick Fortes, the No. 9 hitter in the Marlins’ 99-loss lineup, followed with an RBI single when he hit a first-pitch fastball into right field.
On Ober’s next pitch, a cutter, Xavier Edwards hit a two-run double into the left outfield boundary for a four-run lead. The Twins haven’t scored more than four runs in a game since Sept. 15. Ober shook his head as he walked from behind the plate back to the mound.
Ober, who threw more changeups than fastballs, left two runners on base in the third inning and two more in the fifth. He was replaced after allowing a walk early in the sixth. As Ober sat on the bench in the dugout, he pinched the bridge of his nose and stared at the ground.
A four-run deficit was too much for the Twins offense, which left ten men on base and managed only one hit in nine at-bats with a runner in scoring position.
The Twins put two runners on base in four of their five innings against Marlins left-hander Ryan Weathers, resulting in just one run. Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton were left out in the first inning when Carlos Santana flew out to center and Royce Lewis singled to right. Manuel Margot struck out in the second inning with runners on first and second base.
