Starters Freddy Peralta and Pablo Lopez put on a show for the largest regular-season crowd in Target Field history on Saturday, a raucous border-battle crowd of 41,679 that seemed split evenly between Twins and Milwaukee Brewers fans.

But what started as a pitchers duel became a test of nerves and execution late as the National League Central-leading Brewers scored seven times in extra innings and beat the Twins, 8-4, to start a two-game series against their American League border rival.

Jackson Chourio went 3 for 5 and drove in two runs, and Brice Turing went 2 for 6 and drove in three — two in a five-run 12th inning that finally put the Twins away. Jakob Junis (2-0), who game up Carlos Santana’s game-tying, two-run homer in the 11th, retired three of the four batters he faced in 12th for the victory.

Steven Okert (3-1) took the mound in the 11th with the game tied 3-3 and allowed two infield singles, the second a bunt by Jake Bauers that was headed foul before the pitcher touched it with his hand. That loaded the bases, Josh Stautmont came in to replace Bauers. Joey Ortiz hit a sacrifice fly — one of three runs Milwaukee scored on sacrifices — and Chaurio, Turang and William Contreras followed with run-scoring hits.

The Twins rallied with a run in the eighth inning to tie the game 1-1, and the Brewers scored twice in the 11th to take a 3-1 lead. But with the Twins down to their last strike, Santana hit a 2-2 pitch from Junis into the plaza in right field, scoring courtesy runner Brooks Lee and tying the game 3-3.

But the Brewers wouldn’t go away.

Lopez had one of his best performances of the season, allowing one earned run on four hits and a walk in seven innings. He struck out seven, including the last two batters he faced — Mitchell and Chaurio, whom he got swinging.

But he was outdone by Peralta, who allowed only three base-runners on two hits and a walk. Edouard Julien, who played second and batted ninth after being recalled from Class AAA St. Paul for the game, reached as far as second base against Peralta — after he hit a one-out single and moved to second on a wild pitch in the third inning.

Mitchell started the third inning with a double into the right field corner off of Lopez and scored on Chaurio’s one-out single to make it 1-0.

Jorge Alcala, Griffin Jax and Jhoan Duran each threw a scoreless inning before right-hander Cole Sands started the 11th on the mound. Courtesy runner Joey Ortiz moved to third on a wild pitch, then scored on Turang’s grounder to second. Austin Martin’s throw to the plate bounced, and Ortiz beat Ryan Jeffers’ tag to make it 2-1.

Contreras then doubled off the wall in left-center field to put runners on second and third with one out, and Okert replaced Sands to face Christian Yelich. On an 0-1 count, Yelich bunted Turang home to make it 3-1.

The Twins trailed 1-0 after seven innings before tying it in the eighth.

Willi Castro, fresh off his first All-Star Game appearance Tuesday in Arlington, Texas, doubled and scored the tying run on pinch-hitter Diego Castillo’s grounder to second to tie the game 1-1.

The Twins had a chance to win in the ninth when Manny Margot, who entered as a pinch-hitter in the seventh, hit a two-out double. But he was stranded when Martin — who entered as a pinch-hitter in the eighth — struck out against Joel Payamps to end the inning.