Joe Mauer's home run drought is finally over -- and the Twins first baseman couldn't have picked a better time to end it.
Mauer hit a solo homer in the top of the 13th inning Wednesday in Pittsburgh to lift Minnesota to a 4-3 win over the Pirates at PNC Park. It was Mauer's first home run of the year and his first since Aug. 17 of last year, a span of 74 games and 286 at-bats between homers.
More important than ending the home run drought, Mauer's solo homer helped give the Twins a two-game series sweep as they improved to six games over .500 (23-17) for the first time this year.
"Obviously, we haven't seen that from him this year yet. Much has been said about it," Twins manager Paul Molitor said after Wednesday's win. "I hope his timing on his next one is as good as the one was tonight."
Minnesota's offense jumped on Pittsburgh for three runs in the top of the first inning, but the Twins' bats went cold after that. The Pirates tied the game in the eighth and neither team could score in the ninth.
Two more innings without any runs for either side helped set the stage for Mauer's late-game heroics. After Twins second baseman Brian Dozier popped out for the first out of the 13th inning, Mauer came to the plate against Pirates reliever Antonio Bastardo. With an 0-1 count, Mauer pulled a Bastardo pitch up in the zone into the seats in right field.
So long, drought.
"It's funny, I was trying to drive something the other way and he left the fastball up and in and I just reacted to it," Mauer said. "I'm glad I put a good swing on it.
Mauer's first home run of the year -- his first home run in months -- gave the Twins the lead. As closer Glen Perkins held on for his major league-leading 15th save of the year, Mauer's homer held up as the game-winning hit.
Since hitting 28 homers during his MVP season in 2009 -- during which he participated in the Home Run Derby during the All-Star weekend -- Mauer's power numbers have dropped off. He has averaged just over seven homers a year since 2009, with a high of 11 homers in 2013. In 120 games in 2014, Mauer hit just four home runs.
Yet despite a lack of home runs this season, Mauer was driving in plenty of runs, as his 23 RBI prior to Wednesday were tops on the Twins roster. He added his 24th RBI with a big swing of the bat.
"He's starting to pick it back up," Molitor said. "To come in here and get the big hit last night for us and then the big home run obviously, we're playing him a lot. A day off will be good for him, but he's getting the job done."
Just one game earlier, Mauer was the offensive hero when he hit a bases-clearing single (yes, single) with the bases loaded during Minnesota's 8-5 win. Mauer's first at-bat Wednesday was a single in the first inning, and he eventually came home to score on Torii Hunter's bases-loaded double that gave the Twins an early 3-0 lead.
Mauer has had other clutch hits so far this season, but nothing quite like Wednesday's homer. It was well worth the wait -- even the extra four innings.
"Every win isn't going to be pretty," Mauer said. "To go 13 tonight and come out on top is a good thing."
FOX Sports North's Jamie Hersch contributed to this report.
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