PHILADELPHIA -- The Twins shuffled the top of their lineup on Saturday by moving Willians Astudillo up to No. 2 behind newly minted leadoff hitter Max Kepler, and they got immediate results against Phillies starter Jake Arrieta with back-to-back homers as part of a three-run third inning that gave the Twins an early 3-0 lead.
Kepler crushed an Arrieta cutter 425 feet into the right-field seats for his second homer in as many games. The ball left Kepler’s bat at 108.5 mph, making it the third-hardest homer of his career. The 26-year-old Kepler, who moved into the leadoff spot for the first time this season, has now hit safely in five straight games after an 0-for-10 start to the season.
Astudillo, hitting second for the first time in his career, got another hanging cutter two pitches later, and the Twins’ catcher launched his first homer of the season and fifth career long ball 394 feet into the left-field bleachers with an exit velocity of 104.8 mph. Combined, the homers totaled 819 feet.
"To be honest, I don't even think about [the lineup],” Astudillo said. “I can feel comfortable hitting wherever. I just want an opportunity to keep playing out there."
The two homers hit off Arrieta in excess of 100 mph tied for the most he has allowed in any start since the Statcast era began in 2015.
“Tough third, really,” Arrieta said. “Couple cutters that got hit out of the ballpark. One was middle-in to Kepler and the other one was kind of up, out of the zone but very hittable against a guy that swings a lot.”
True to their reputation, Phillies fans let loose a round of boos as Astudillo rounded the bases following his homer.
"My job then becomes going out there and making sure everyone's quiet,” Astudillo said.
Do-Hyoung Park covers the Twins for MLB.com.