Article: MIN 5, KC 3: Twins Win Nail-Biter in Extras

[Seth Stohs]

A rare blown save from Taylor Rogers sent the game to extra innings, but C.J. Cron led the offensive rally in the tenth inning and Minnesota took the third game of the series against the Royals. The Twins become the first team in the American League to reach 50 wins this year.Box Score

 

Berríos: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 61.1% strikes (55 of 90 pitches)

Bullpen: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K

Home Runs: Sanó (9), Cave (1), Cron (17)

Multi-Hit Games: Cron (3-for-5, HR, RBI), Cave (2-for-3, HR)

 

WPA of +0.1: Berríos .366, Cron .356, Cave .250, May .142

WPA of -0.1: Kepler -.113, Cruz -.121, Polanco -.155, Astudillo -.161, Rogers -.269

 

(chart via FanGraphs)

 

Coming into this game, the Twins were having some rather rocky previous few games. After having a winning record in all of its seven, ten-game splits so far in the season, Minnesota had more losses than wins in their current ten-game split, with a 2-3 record. They were able to avoid a three-game losing streak on Friday night, as they have done all year, though. They were able to get a second straight win even though they had to face an, at times, very difficult opposing starter in lefty Danny Duffy.

 

Even though Duffy isn’t having a very good year, coming into this game with a 4.64 ERA, he had posted a 2.61 ERA in his last five starts against the Twins, striking out nine batters per nine innings. It was by no means an easy task. But, José Berríos also came into the game carrying great recent success against the Royals. In his last six starts against them, he’s posted a 2.48 ERA, not once giving up more than three runs or pitching fewer than six innings.

 

 

Sanó slowly ending his slump

Miguel Sanó had a brutal series against the Boston Red Sox earlier in the week, going 0-for-13 with nine strikeouts. He then became the rally sparker late in Friday’s game, hitting a clutch solo home run to tie the game in the eighth inning. That didn’t change the fact that he finished the game in a 1-for-19 sequence. So he was determined to end that slump for good. He homered again on Saturday, in the second inning, to put the Twins ahead.

 

 

For the first time in the past ten games, the Twins recorded three home runs in a game. The last time they did so was on June 12th against the Mariners. Minnesota continues on the path to break the single-season home run record, as they are now on pace to hit 311 homers. Here’s a look at how Jake Cave (his first of the year) and C.J. Cron went back-to-back in the eighth.

 

 

 

Berríos leaves and the Royals take advantage

Everything was going smoothly until the beginning of the eighth inning. Berríos had completed seven shutout innings with only 83 pitches. But he started suffering from a blister on his right ring finger and gave up a single and a walk to open the inning.

 

Both of those runners ended up scoring as Taylor Rogers couldn’t strand them. Kansas City then tied the game in the inning, as Jorge Soler was hit by a pitch from Rogers and scored later. For the second time this week, the Twins were going to extra innings after Trevor May pitched a scoreless ninth.

 

Patiently, Minnesota was able to score a couple more runs to retake the lead in the tenth. After Luis Arráez and Cave reached on a single and a hit-by-pitch, Cron got his third hit of the day to earn his second RBI. It was followed by Eddie Rosario’s double to add one more insurance run and give Blake Parker some breathing room to earn his tenth save of the year in the bottom of the inning.

 

 

Bullpen continues good stretch

Any compliments given to the Twins bullpen this year will sound weird. Although Minnesota relievers aren’t having a very good year, they’ve had some brilliant stints, the current one included. Before this afternoon game, the Twins bullpen pitched 31 innings in the previous eight games, posting a 2.03 ERA. It also should be said that more than half of those innings - sixteen and two-thirds - were pitched against the current World Series champions.

 

Despite the fact that Rogers couldn’t hold on to the advantage late in regulation and got his third blown save of the year, the Twins bullpen is now posting a 2.11 ERA in the past nine games. May earned his second win of the season.

 

 

Postgame With Baldelli

 

Bullpen Usage

Here’s a quick look at the number of pitches thrown by the bullpen over the past five days:

 

 

 

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[twinsfanstreif]

Great header pic! And to think, that wasn't interference........

[Circus Boy]

Good win. Overcame adversity. Now I'm hoping the series finale on Sunday is a laugher. We haven't won a game easy since Detroit two weeks ago.

[Monticore]

Cave came up big. Good for him.

[Dantes929]

 

Cave came up big. Good for him.

Cave and Sano.   

 

[Dantes929]

 

Cave came up big. Good for him.

 

Berrios, Cave, Sano and the bullpen.    Rogers didn't do great but you never know how many you have to score or prevent.    The pen seems to bend a lot but doesn't break too often.   May also came up big shutting them out in the 9th and Parker with the save.    We are nearly half way through the season and the pen still hasn't blown as many as Perkins and Jepsen did in two weeks a couple years ago.   Yes, we could use a good one or two but if they were as bad as everyone says then we wouldn't have the most wins in the majors.    We haven't won every game 15-8.

[terrydactyls]

Today is Saturday, June 22 and it was the 76th game of the year.  The Twins are now 47%  of the way through the season.  Out of 59 years, the current team ranks 22nd on the all-time list of Twins' home runs in one season and are on a pace to hit 311 home runs this season.

[jimbo92107]

Yesterday I called Sano and Cave a hole in the lineup. Today, they both hit home runs. Should I stop bitching? No, I can't promise that... Maybe I'll ease down on bitching about those two guys for a couple days, maybe bitch about May for a while... 

 

Proper distribution of bitching is so important, and baseball is a target-rich environment for bitching. Even Jorge Polanco fails to get a hit two thirds of the time, tho I guess his OBP is pretty good at the moment...

 

I got my eye on you, Polanco!

[Dman]

Man KC always plays us tough.  Am I the only one who thought after they tied it in the 8th inning that we were going to lose this one? It kind of feels like teams have adjusted to the Twins aggressive style.  I don't see many down the middle fastball strikes early in the count anymore.  Maybe it is time to dial the aggressiveness back and start working counts.  I know we have been surviving recently but not really thriving.

 

I guess several guys are dinged up but it feels like we are going to have play better than this to hang on to our lead and do well in the playoffs.

[Tom Froemming]

 

Yesterday I called Sano and Cave a hole in the lineup. Today, they both hit home runs. Should I stop bitching? No, I can't promise that... Maybe I'll ease down on bitching about those two guys for a couple days, maybe bitch about May for a while... 

 

Proper distribution of bitching is so important, and baseball is a target-rich environment for bitching. Even Jorge Polanco fails to get a hit two thirds of the time, tho I guess his OBP is pretty good at the moment...

 

I got my eye on you, Polanco!

When you have the power of the reverse jinx on your side, it's actually your obligation to continue complaining. Quick, say something negative about Pineda, he's starting tomorrow!

[PDX Twin]

 

Yesterday I called Sano and Cave a hole in the lineup. Today, they both hit home runs. Should I stop bitching? No, I can't promise that... Maybe I'll ease down on bitching about those two guys for a couple days, maybe bitch about May for a while... 

 

Proper distribution of bitching is so important, and baseball is a target-rich environment for bitching. Even Jorge Polanco fails to get a hit two thirds of the time, tho I guess his OBP is pretty good at the moment...

 

 

Don't they say that good bitching beats good hitting?

[DocBauer]

I was working today so only caught a few glimpses of the game, checked in on the Box and game thread after the fact. Take that for WIW and let me make some points. You KNOW I get long winded. (Special shout out to Vanimal, and he knows why, lol)

 

1] 25yr old Berrios is not an ACE. Think about that for a moment. Think about what we have seen from him previously, what we know about him, and seen in his last 2 starts/no decisions. Just how good could he be in the next year or two? Again, 25yo. (But he's owed a couple easy wins at this point)

 

2] Bullpen: The pen needs help! We all know this. And recently, the pen had a bad stretch. But go back again and read about the recent stretch the pen has bad in the OP. You don't win 50 games at this point if your pen in worthless. The sky has not fallen yet. Get over it. We need an "Atlas" or 2 for the long haul, but pieces of the heavens have not been cascading down to create Armageddon 2.

 

3] Rogers is a stud! He blew a save. He allowed a big hit from a LH batter for the first time since 2017. Hey, I will take that.

 

May has been a disappointment to me. He is a disappointment because of his ability and his acceptance of his role and what he did last season. As much praise as we heap on Johnson, deservedly so, May should be a special project. For some reason his breaking ball just hasn't been there consistently. His WHIP is high due to BB. But his season numbers are not terrible, and his last 7 games numbers are pretty solid. Regardless of acquisitions made, May rounding in to form makes a real difference.

 

4] Cave and Sano. Cave showed last season what he could do. For whatever reason, be got off to a slow start. He raked at Rochester recently and stunk when he came up. Pressing? One game doesn't make up for pitifull performance. But to just bash him is not realistic at this point. This is even more true for Sano.

 

Look, I'm a fan and believer in Sano's ability and potential. And even I am frustrated as sh*t by his most recent performance! Even as a believer I am thinking he should be sent down for a time. But his re-dedication has been documented. Great! But he also missed all of ST, and IMO, was brought up too soon. But here he is. It is sad to say he is a work in progress, but reality will tell you that he is. A couple big hits the last couple of days does not make up for some very, very poor performances of late. But perhaps it is a start to confidence. Hope so. Can we at least give him a full season to adjust, grow and adapt with his new dedication? If not....should have just given up on Polanco, Kepler, and Rosario a season ago.

 

Off my soapbox.

[jimbo92107]

Tom and PDX are right, it's time to face the Pineda Question. Just how long is this guy going to pretend that his whole body hurts after every pitch?? Seriously, he shakes his elbow, his shoulders, his butt, seems like every joint in his body is aching...and then he does this kinda casual looking wind-up and whips another devious pitch just where the hitters don't want to see it. 

 

And then it starts all over again, with the shaking, shrugging and stretching. And there's this weird little push thing he does with his pitching hand, like he's reminding himself to push the ball towards home plate. Don't push it, throw it! Is it all an act, designed to make hitters think the man is slightly daft in the noggin? If not, then somebody's got to do something. I nominate Miguel Sano. Sano should take Pineda by the shoulders and say, "Listen, your arm is okay! It's not going to fall off! I had mine fixed too, and now I throw harder than you! You're a big guy, just lean in and let the ball rip!" 

 

Something like that, but with more authority. More gravitas. Always use gravitas. It's the cowbell of rhetoric.

[Aerodeliria]

Sometimes even we have to talk about Taylor's Falls.

[Aerodeliria]

I think Rocco went to the well once too often with Rogers. It's hard to blame him though with the tying run strolling up to the plate. The risk vs reward scenarios had to be going through his head:

 

Parker, Magill or Morin: three-run homer

Harper: overused so also three-run homer

Littell or Stewart: fear of walking three or four batters

Duffey: from past history there is always this nagging sense that the roof might cave in at any moment

[Nine of twelve]

 

I think Rocco went to the well once too often with Rogers. It's hard to blame him though with the tying run strolling up to the plate. The risk vs reward scenarios had to be going through his head:

Parker, Magill or Morin: three-run homer
Harper: overused so also three-run homer
Littell or Stewart: fear of walking three or four batters
Duffey: from past history there is always this nagging sense that the roof might cave in at any moment

Rogers did pitch two innings less than 24 hours previously but he has the best stuff of anyone in the bullpen. I'm guessing Rocco also felt that he was the best one to bring into the game in the middle of an inning. With the off day on Monday there were two days to rest his arm. I'm sure he was not going to have Rogers pitch the ninth inning no matter what happened. When you are the manager there are times when you roll the dice. Sometimes you succeed, sometimes you don't. This case was a don't, but even then with our offense we had a better chance of winning an extra-inning game than the Royals. So I don't fault Rocco for bringing in Rogers.

[USAFChief]

2 IP the night before for Rogers.

 

Pretty telling on how Baldelli views the rest of the pen.

[Darius]

Nice win tonight.

 

Not sure it relieves my concnerns regarding the bullpen, considering our best reliever blows a multi-run lead to the worst team in the game.

 

But, the offense remains a resilient and productive group. A win is better than a loss with the Indians catching fire. Getting the 3rd out of 4 would be a good start to alleviating my concern.

[AlwaysinModeration]

Don't they say that good bitching beats good hitting?

Post of the year.