Kepler’s offense and Correa’s stellar stopping lead Twins to 3-2 win over Nationals

WASHINGTON — There’s a difference in Carlos Correa’s appearance in the batter’s box after dealing with plantar fasciitis in his left heel for most of last season.

He showed it when he hit a first-pitch curveball for a solo home run in the sixth inning Wednesday to give the Twins a two-run lead. Then he showed how helpful it is to have a healthy foot again when he saved the lead with his defense one inning later.

Correa, with the tying run on third base in the bottom of the seventh inning, took two steps and dove for a hard-hit ball up the middle from Washington Nationals center fielder Jacob Young. Correa quickly got up and threw a throw to first base to take out one of the fastest runners in the sport and save the game.

“I didn’t want the game to be tied at all,” Correa said after the Twins earned a 3-2 victory at Nationals Park, winning the final two games of the three-game series. “It was too hot to play extra innings.”

With a new bullpen and an off day looming, the Twins viewed Wednesday’s finale as a must-win game. Simeon Woods Richardson was pulled early, after completing 4⅔ scoreless innings on 77 pitches.

“A lot of our guys in the bullpen were completely rested and they’re waiting to throw with everything they have,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “We knew it wasn’t a day where we had to push Sim far in the game.”

“It was all hands on deck,” left-handed reliever Steven Okert said.

It wasn’t the crispest outing for Woods Richardson, whose fastball velocity was down about 1 mph on an 88-degree afternoon. He threw a first pitch to nine of his 18 batters, and two of his last three outs came on the warning track. He was still effective, throwing around leadoff singles in the second and third innings, and a walk leading off the fourth inning.

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Facing a National lineup made up of five lefties and a switch hitter, the Twins relied on their three left-handed relievers. Okert retired all four batters he faced. Caleb Thielbar pitched a scoreless inning. Kody Funderburk allowed two hits to open the seventh inning before Griffin Jax replaced him.

Jax induced two ground balls, allowing a run to score on a groundout to first base, then watched Correa save the lead with his diving play. Jax raised his fist while yelling on the mound. Correa turned toward the outfield after his throw and let out a scream.

“We’re probably still playing or could be lost if (Correa) didn’t play like he did,” Baldelli said. “It’s a big thing.”

BOXSCORE: Twins 3, Washington 2

The Twins managed two runs in 6⅓ innings against Nationals starter Jake Irvin, a Bloomington Jefferson graduate and former Twins draft pick. Max Kepler homered on a first-pitch fastball in the second inning and Correa homered on a first-pitch curveball in the sixth.

“His sinker was tearing me up, so I said let’s look for the curveball,” Correa said. “He threw it and I hit him.”

Kepler hit a double in the top of the ninth inning and scored when Ryan Jeffers followed with a single. It took on more momentum when Twins closer Jhoan Duran gave up a solo homer off a divider to Joey Meneses in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Duran, who later discussed his throws with Pablo López in the clubhouse, missed the tying run on second base.