ABOVE: Cincinnati Reds pitcher Brandon Williamson throws to the Minnesota Twins during the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, April 17, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Eugenio Suárez hit a two-run double, Brandon Williamson allowed one run in 5 1/3 innings and the Cincinnati Reds edged the Minnesota Twins 2-1 on Friday night.

Williamson (2-1) gave up three hits, struck out two and walked four. Emilio Pagán pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his sixth save.

Twins starter Joe Ryan (2-2) allowed two runs — one earned — and three hits and had six strikeouts in six innings.

Josh Bell had two of Minnesota’s five hits — all singles. The Twins went 0 for 4 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners stranded.

With the game scoreless in the fourth, Elly De La Cruz doubled on a line drive to the warning track and advanced to third when Sal Stewart reached on a throwing error by third baseman Ryan Kreidler. After Stewart stole second, Suárez doubled to center to give Cincinnati a 2-0 lead.

Brooks Lee, Kreidler and Byron Buxton walked to load the bases in the fifth. Lee scored on a sacrifice fly by Austin Martin to make it 2-1, but Williamson got Luke Keaschall to ground into an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play.

Williamson also struck out Keaschall with the bases loaded to end the third.

Up next

Cincinnati’s Andrew Abbott (0-2, 5.85 ERA) is scheduled to start Saturday against Taj Bradley (3-0, 1.25) in the second of a three-game series.