Twins sneak by Cardinals, 3-2

Donovan Solano delivered a decisive two-run, pinch-hit single in the seventh inning as the visiting Minnesota Twins edged the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2 on Tuesday to snap their five-game losing streak.

Tyler O'Neill hit a solo home run for the Cardinals, who lost for the eighth time in their last 11 games.

Twins starter Pablo Lopez (6-6) allowed one run on four hits over six innings. He struck out five and did not issue a walk.

Emilio Pagan and Griffin Jax each worked a scoreless inning of relief. Jhoan Duran survived O'Neill's homer in the ninth to earn his 18th save.

Cardinals starting pitcher Miles Mikolas (6-7) allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits in seven innings. He struck out seven and walked one.

The Twins broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning with an unearned run.

Ryan Jeffers hit a one-out double, moved to third base on Joey Gallo's lineout and scored when Michael A. Taylor reached base on shortstop Tommy Edman's throwing error.

A baserunning mishap cost the Cardinals in the bottom of the inning. With one out, Jordan Walker hit a ground ball to third baseman Jorge Polanco and raced to third after a wild throw.

But Walker was subsequently called out for missing first base on the play.

The Cardinals tied the game 1-1 in the sixth inning before another baserunning error proved costly.

Taylor Motter hit a leadoff single, took second on Lars Nootbaar's one-out single and scored on Nolan Arenado's two-out single. But Nootbaar got thrown out trying to reach third on the play.

The Twins moved ahead 3-1 in the seventh inning. Polanco hit a leadoff single and Matt Wallner hit a ground-rule double to set things up for Solano, who came through with the clutch hit.

Nootbaar and Paul Goldschmidt hit two-out singles in the eighth inning before Arenado flied out to strand both runners. O'Neill's ninth-inning homer cut St. Louis' deficit to 3-2, but Duran recorded a pair of strikeouts to end the game.