The Minnesota Twins looked to win their sixth series win in a row going into today’s game against the Baltimore Orioles. With the Orioles also contenders in the American League Wild Card – only half a game behind the Twins – a win was necessary. Well… a win is always necessary, right?
Zebby Matthews started for the Twins today and had a rough go of it out of the gate, par for the course for most Minnesota starts as of late. A walk to Gunnar Henderson, single from Pete Alonso, and a force-out off the bat of Jackson Holliday gave the Birds an early 1-0 lead. Fast-forward through two harmless singles in the second and Baltimore drew blood again in the third inning. Alonso and Tyler O’Neill singled and with one out, Dylan Beavers took a hanging curveball from Matthews and deposited it into the right field overhang to give the Orioles four runs total.
Thankfully, the Twins offense showed up today and answered back in each inning off of Orioles starter Shane Baz. Josh Bell drew Trevor Larnach in on a single in the first to tie the baby up. Minnesota batters started off the third with six hits and a sacrifice fly in seven batters to speed into a 5-4 lead. Kody Clemens, Victor Caratini, and Alan Roden each had RBI knocks. Two strikeouts later and the inning was over and Baz was driven from the game: 3 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, BB, 2 K.
Matthews settled down after the third, sending down Baltimore batters in order in the fourth and fifth innings. He was done after 94 pitches, allowing six hits, four earned runs, two walks, and striking out four batters. His team picked him up some more in the bottom of the fifth off of Cam Sanders and Yaramil Hiraldo. Caratini and Roden added onto their great days with a single and a double, respectively, off of Sanders. Hiraldo came in to put out the fire and poured a little gas on it. Larnach grounded out to bring in Caratini while Royce Lewis doubled to drive in Roden, giving the Twins a 7-4 lead.
Despite a messy seventh inning by Jeff Hoffman – two two-out walks and a wild pitch – neither team allowed a hit after the fifth.
I wrote the above and then Yoendrys Gomez gave up a homer to Leody Taveras. And then a walk. Whoops. Anyway, Andrew Morris and A. J. Minter pitched clean innings. The rest of the ninth went on without a hitch, including Gomez fielding the next two plays, and the Twins took the series with a 7-5 win.
W: Zebby Matthews (6-8)
L: Shane Baz (4-12)
S: Yoendrys Gomez (17)
STUDS:
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Alan Roden: 3-3, 2 2B, BB, R, RBI
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Josh Bell: 3-5, R, RBI, K
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Royce Lewis: 2-5, 2 2B, R, RBI, K
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Andrew Morris, A. J. Minter: 2 IP, 4 K
duds:
COTG:
The Twins start a tough stretch of games and continue their quasi-homestand by travelling down to the cornfields of Iowa to begin their series against the Philadelphia Phillies at the Field of Dreams. First pitch is slated for 630p Central in a game that will serve as a home game for the Twins. Taj Bradley (9-4, 3.76 ERA) answers the bell for Minnesota while Philadelphia counters with Aaron Nola (3-9, 5.47 ERA).
Thank you for your time and enjoy the evening!
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