Garver launches first big league big fly

MINNEAPOLIS -- Twins catcher Mitch Garver picked an opportune time for his first career homer, as he deposited an 0-2 slider from Mariners right-hander Dan Altavilla into the left-field seats in the seventh inning of the Twins' 4-2 home-opener win over the Mariners at Target Field on Thursday afternoon. The homer put Minnesota up, 3-2.
Garver, who had never homered in his previous 52 at-bats in the Majors, crushed the mistake from Altavilla, as it left his bat at 105.4 mph at a launch angle of 32 degrees, going a projected 409 feet, per Statcast™. Balls hit at similar exit velocities and launch angles go for hits 89 percent of the time.
It was also the 11th homer of the year for the Twins in six games, which breaks the club record for most home runs through the first six games of a season; they hit 10 homers in six games to open up the 2009 season. Miguel Sanó launched a two-run homer off lefty James Paxton to tie the game in the sixth.