MINNEAPOLIS _ Nine balls were hit to Jonathan Schoop on Tuesday. The final eight were fielded cleanly and turned into outs. The first? Schoop would like another try.
The Twins second baseman hit a home run, but he also booted a potential inning-ender, and the Mets took advantage. Two unearned first-inning runs turned a winnable game for Minnesota into a 3-2 win for the Mets.
Michael Pineda pitched six strong innings, and Eddie Rosario and C.J. Cron celebrated their return from the injured list by combining to produce the Twins' second run at Target Field. But New York held the Twins hitless in six at-bats with runners in scoring position, handing them a second straight defeat.
Minnesota won't have to wait long to try to keep alive its prohibition on three-game losing streaks; the Mets and Twins finish the two-game interleague series at 12:10 p.m. Wednesday. Minnesota is 8-0 this season following back-to-back losses, going 93 games without a three-game skid.
They might be trying to extend a one-game winning streak if not for some sloppy play in the first inning. Jeff McNeil and Michael Conforto opened the game with singles off Pineda, who rebounded by striking out Home Run Derby champion Pete Alonso. Then the Twins' gloves betrayed them, however.
A low-and-inside pitch to Robinson Cano bounced off Jason Castro's mitt, a passed ball that moved the runners up. Cano hit a fly ball to center that scored McNeil and moved Conforto to third base. The inning appeared over when Wilson Ramos followed by hitting a ground ball up the middle, but the ball deflected off the heel of Schoop's glove as he reached for it, allowing Conforto to score.
Schoop made amends in the third inning, crushing a 2-1 changeup from Mets lefthander Steven Matz into the planters atop the right field wall. And the Twins tied the score an inning later, when Rosario, in his first game back from the injured list, led off with a single. Cron, also just back from injury, followed with his second double of the night, moving Rosario to third. He scored moments later on a Max Kepler groundout.
But the score didn't stay tied for long, thanks to Pineda's only stumble in his six-inning stint. Mets shortstop Amed Rosario hit a one-out double to left, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored when Conforto sliced a two-out single down the left field line, one of his four hits on the night.
Pineda posted his ninth quality start of the season, and third in a row, allowing six hits over six innings. He didn't walk a batter, and allowed only one earned run, reducing his ERA to 4.38 for the season.
The Twins kept the game close by escaping an eighth-inning jam with a timely double play. Conforto singled off reliever Blake Parker and Alonso walked, and both moved up a base when Mitch Garver also allowed a pitch to get past him. But Cano hit a one-hopper to Parker, who caught Conforto in a rundown. He was eventually tagged out at the plate, and Garver whipped the ball to Miguel Sano at third base to catch Alonso trying to advance.
The Twins rallied in the ninth after Schoop had to leave the game after hurting himself on a swing-and-a-miss after Miguel Sano struck out against hard-throwing Edwin Diaz to start the inning.
Luis Arraez, taking over an 0-2 count, battled for a walk. Mitch Garver then followed with a single to put runners on first and second.
Jorge Polanco flied out to second for the second out and Marwin Gonzalez hit an infield single to lead the bases.
Nelson Cruz then popped out to end the game.
