WASHINGTON (Interstat) — Byron Buxton hit a three-run homer, Brooks Lee drove in three runs and Taj Bradley struck out eight in six solid innings to help the Minnesota Twins beat the Washington Nationals 11-3 on Tuesday night at Nationals Park.

Buxton’s homer, his sixth in the last eight games and 11th this season, made the score 10-3 in the eighth inning. Lee went 3 for 5 with two doubles and three RBIs. Trevor Larnach added two hits and two RBIs for Minnesota. Bradley, who improved to 4-1, allowed two runs on four hits and walked two over six innings. He struck out eight.

Cade Cavalli took the loss for Washington, falling to 1-2. He pitched four innings, giving up three earned runs on five hits with two strikeouts and three walks. Paxton Schultz threw two scoreless innings of relief for the Nationals, allowing no hits and striking out one.

The Twins improved to 16-20, matching the Nationals’ record at 16-20. The game drew 17,844 fans and lasted 2 hours 48 minutes.

Minnesota struck first in the second inning. Kody Clemens was hit by a pitch with one out, and Luke Keaschall followed with a single. Lee then doubled sharply to right field, scoring both Clemens and Keaschall to give the Twins a 2-0 lead.

Washington answered in the bottom of the first, scratching out a run against Bradley. Daylen Lile walked, and Curtis Mead doubled to put runners at second and third. CJ Abrams reached on a fielder’s choice, driving in Lile and moving Mead to third. Bradley escaped further damage by striking out Jacob Young and getting Jorbit Vivas to ground out.

The score remained 2-1 until the fourth inning, when the Twins erupted for four runs. Austin Martin singled, and Clemens and Keaschall drew walks to load the bases. Lee then reached on a fielder’s choice that saw Martin score, but the key play was an error by Cavalli that allowed all runners to advance. Royce Lewis followed with a sacrifice fly to bring home Clemens, making it 4-1. Larnach then doubled to center field, scoring Keaschall and Lee for a 6-1 lead.

Bradley settled in after the first, retiring seven straight batters at one point. He allowed only a single in the second and a walk in the third before the Nationals got to him again in the fifth. Lile doubled to center, and Mead singled to left, scoring Lile to cut the lead to 6-2. Bradley struck out Abrams to end the threat.

The Twins added a run in the seventh. Ryan Jeffers doubled, and Josh Bell singled to drive him in, making it 7-2. Washington responded in the bottom half against reliever Eric Orze. José Tena doubled, and after a strikeout, James Wood doubled to left, scoring Tena to bring the Nationals within 7-3. Orze got Lile to pop out and Mead to ground out to end the inning.

Minnesota put the game away in the eighth. Lee singled and Lewis was hit by a pitch. Buxton then launched his three-run homer to left field, giving the Twins a 10-3 lead. It was Buxton’s 11th homer of the season and his sixth in the last eight games.

The Twins added another run in the ninth. Clemens walked, Keaschall walked, and Lee doubled to left, scoring Clemens for the final 11-3 margin.

Anthony Banda pitched a scoreless eighth, allowing no hits and striking out one. Luis García worked a perfect ninth, striking out none but inducing a game-ending double play.

For the Nationals, Curtis Mead had two hits and an RBI. James Wood doubled and drove in a run. Daylen Lile also doubled and scored. Washington managed only six hits total, striking out nine times.

The game was a decisive turnaround for Minnesota, which had lost four of its previous five games. Bradley’s performance was especially crucial after he allowed six earned runs in his previous start at Tampa Bay on April 24. He rebounded with his second quality start in three outings, lowering his ERA to 3.86.

The Twins’ bullpen also excelled, combining for three scoreless innings. The Nationals’ relief corps, aside from Schultz, struggled, allowing eight runs over five innings.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Washington 5, Minnesota 3. Interstat’s ELO system gave Washington a 51.00 percent probability to win. Minnesota had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5. The total score of 14 went under the over-under line of 8.5.

The two teams continue their three-game series Wednesday night at Nationals Park. The Twins then travel to Cleveland for a weekend set, while the Nationals head to Miami.