Atlanta Braves at Minnesota Twins

Three days ago, the Twins were licking their wounds after losing three straight games to the Phillies. What a difference three days can make. Kaelen Culpepper had three hits, Kody Clemens drove in three runs, and Yoendrys Gómez saved his third game in as many days on Wednesday as the Twins completed a three-game sweep of the Braves with a 6-4 win at Target Field. And with the Rangers' loss to the Nationals and Blue Jays' defeat at the hands of the Rays, Minnesota now holds a half-game lead for the third and final AL Wild Card spot. Chalk it up to the Power of Threes. **1\. Culpepper posts first career three-hit game** Culpepper (Twins’ No. 3 prospect, No. 34 overall) didn’t join the Twins until Aug. 7 in Milwaukee, but in 10 career games he’s already begun establishing himself as a stabilizing force in the Twins’ defense and batting order. On Wednesday he singled in the third, fifth and sixth innings. He also scored a run and advanced another runner who went on to score. And he handled his two defensive chances flawlessly. “He continues to get better,” Twins manager Derek Shelton said. “I made the mound visit in the eighth and I asked him, ‘Have you ever had four hits in a Major League game?’ He said he’s had four hits but not at the Major League level. I said, ‘Well, I dare you to do it.’ “We're seeing he's free and easy. Last night he had five or six assists. Defensively getting better offensively, and this kid can hit. We knew that when we drafted him.”