Game Thread 4/19: Detroit Tigers (4-16) @ Minnesota Twins (12-9) 1:10pmCT

[thuuuuney]

Catch-up
The Twins bats awaken and launch three bombas, but the birthday boy Miguel Cabrera and the Tigers wouldn't just let the Twins walk all over them as he launches two home runs along with a three run shot from Austin Romine. The game went down to the wire and the Twins escaped with a 7-6 win today and are looking for the sweep against the Tigers ace, Matthew Boyd

 

Pre-game
12:45pmCT

 

Where to watch.
https://www.twitch.tv/thuuuuney/

 

AL Central Standings

1. Indians 16-7 
2. Twins 12-9 
3. Royals 11-10 
4. White Sox 9-13 
5. Tigers 4-16 

 

Starting Pitchers

Detroit: Matthew Boyd 0-2. 3.91 ERA, 23.0P, 21 K's
Minnesota: Jake Odorizzi 1-3, 4.43 ERA, 20.1IP, 23 K's

 

Detroit Batting Order

 

1. CF Cameron Maybin .297 BA, 2 HR, 8 RBI
2. SS Niko Goodrum .246 BA, 1 HR, 8 RBI
3. DH Miguel Cabrera .200 BA, 2 HR, 8 RBI
4. 1B C.J. Cron .250 BA, 0 HR, 0 RBI
5. 2B Jonathan Schoop .145 BA, 2 HR, 6 RBI
6. 3B Harold Castro** .359 BA, 2 HR, 8 RBI
7. RF Christian Stewart .266 BA, 2 HR, 11 RBI
8. C Austin Romine .294 BA, 2 HR, 8 RBI
9. LF Victor Reyes .284 BA, 1 HR, 5 RBI

**= Harold Castro: 6th in AL, Batting Average (.359).

 

Minnesota Batting Order

 

1. C Mitch Garver .254 BA, 4 HR, 9 RBI
2. SS Jorge Polanco .286 BA, 2 HR, 12 RBI
3. 3B Josh Donaldson .296 BA, 2 HR, 7 RBI
4. DH Nelson Cruz .275 BA, 3 HR, 12 RBI
5. 1B Miguel Sano* .246 BA, 5 HR, 9 RBI
6. RF Max Kepler* .241 BA, 5 HR, 8 RBI
7. LF Ehire Adrianza .235 BA, 1 HR, 4 RBI
8. 2B Luis Arraez .308 BA, 1 HR, 4 RBI
9. CF Byron Buxton .212 BA, 3 HR, 5 RBI

*= Max Kepler and Miguel Sano: Both have homered in each game this series.

 

Bomba Tracker
- 2020: 30
- 2019 through 21 games: 37

 

Storylines
1. After a pitchers duel in game one of the series, both offenses combined for 6 home-runs yesterday in a crazy 7-6 win by Minnesota. The scorecard should be a little easier to score today as the ace of the rotation for Detroit in Matthew Boyd takes the mound versus Jake Odorizzi.
2. The Twins against LHP have been very hit or miss, starting the year 3-0 off of a LHP starter averaging over 6 runs a game. But in their last two games against LHP they have been bested by the veteran Gio Gonzalez (7 shutout innings in Chicago) and Ryan Borucki (7 shutout innings in Toronto) . Today will prove to be a big test for the Bomba Squad as they square off against Matthew Boyd.
3. The Twins haven't had a sweep since the end of March when they swept Seattle and today are looking to get the brooms out for sweep #2, also hosting Seattle again for a four game set starting tomorrow. While Detroit gets over their toughest week of the year so far going 0-7, the calendar turns over and for Detroit, they hope the week starts off with a win!

[thuuuuney]

Miss the game? https://www.twitch.tv/videos/596737531

• Want to skip the pre-game? Go to 24:48.

Post Game Wrap

So the Twins take the first two games of the series looking to go for sweep #2 and go above .500 at home for the first time this year (4-4 entering contest). But as we say in yesterday's contest even though the Tigers lost, Detroit wanted this game badly...and now for the highlights from what I think was the best game of the year thus far.

 

We begin in the top of the 1st where the Twins, sending out Jake Odorizzi, are looking for a clean start to the ballgame. After the leadoff man Cameron Maybin singles to right, the former Twin Niko Goodrum opens the scoring for Detroit in the 1st.

• https://clips.twitch.tv/CulturedObservantTeaSmoocherZ

The Tigers would add one more and early, they lead the Twins 3-0 heading into the home half of the 4th. Well we talked about yesterday how that ballgame could've been a spark for Minnesota offensively, it certainly was for Miguel Sano.

• https://clips.twitch.tv/SmoothFrailDragonfruitFeelsBadMan

So Sano ties it for the Twins but the runs wouldn't stop there. After a single and a walk the Twins had ducks on the pond with nobody out and they get a run, but Cameron Maybin makes arguably the best play defensively we've seen this year, to limit the damage.

• https://clips.twitch.tv/MuddySullenGorillaCoolCat

Donaldson would later hit an RBI single to score the runner at third and the Twins open it up to a 5-3 but the damage didn't stop there, enter the Boomstick.

• https://clips.twitch.tv/SarcasticRefinedStarlingChefFrank

So we would later spend the next two innings discussing in chat who had the longest home run in Target Field history, only to find out it was Nelson Cruz but as a Mariner- but his shot as a Twin went 444ft and nearly left the stadium like Giancarlo Stanton did in the 2014 HR Derby. So the Twins move out to a comfortable lead at 7-3 and then Christian Stewart answers in the top half of the inning to make it 7-4 and we mentioned, these Tigers aren't going down easy. But then some beautiful happened, the Twins answer the Tigers run in the bottom half with a bomba from Byron Buxton.

• https://clips.twitch.tv/FancyImpossibleGooseKevinTurtle

So the Twins up 8-4 are in good position to win this game and go for their second sweep of the year but with two outs in the 8th inning, the former Twin Cj Cron singles and there are runners and 1st and 2nd, for former Twin Jonathan Schoop.

• https://clips.twitch.tv/BusyHungryBeefSquadGoals

So Detroit, after going 0-6 last week, were not looking to start this week off on the losing end and we head to the 9th all tied up at 8 a piece. And in the 9th inning Tyler Clippard gets the first two outs without a blemish, but then former Twin Cj Cron doubles and with the go-ahead run at the plate, the 1-0 offering to the former Twin Jonathan Schoop...

• https://clips.twitch.tv/ExcitedSneakyTildeHeyGirl

Thats our ballgame would end as Jimenez gets the save and the Twins win the series but the Tigers take getaway day thanks the effort of former Twins Niko Goodrum, Cj Cron, and Jonathan Schoop.

Final

• Minnesota (12-10) 8
• Detroit (5-16) 9

Box Score

 

Detroit

1. Maybin, CF: 1-4, BB, 2R
2. Goodrum, SS: 1-5 2-Run HR
3. Cabrera, DH: 3-5, R
4. Cron 1B: 2-5, 2B, RBI
5. Schoop 2B: 3-5, 3-Run HR, 4 RBI
6. Castro 3B: 0-5, 
7. Stewart RF: 2-4, HR
8. Romine C: 0-4
9. Reyes LF: 1-4, RBI

*Demeritte entered for Cron in the 9th, R. Candelario entered as 1B in bottom 9th (no stats accumulated).

 

Batting

2B: Cabrera (3), Cron (1), Schoop (2).

HR: Goodrum (2), Schoop (3), Stewart (3).

RBI: Goodrum 2 (10), Cron (1), Schoop 4 (10), Stewart (12), Reyes (6).

 

 

Minnesota

1. Garver, C: 0-3 Sac Fly RBI
2. Polanco SS: 1-5
3. Donaldson 3B: 1-3 2B, RBI
4. Cruz DH: 1-3 2-Run HR, BB
5. Sano 1B: 2-3 HR, 2 RBI
6. Kepler RF: 0-4
7. Adrianza LF: 1-3 Sac Fly RBI
8. Arraez 2B: 0-3 BB,R
9. Buxton CF: 2-4 HR, 2R

Batting

2B: Sano (4), Buxton (2)

HR: Cruz (4),Sano (6), Buxton (4)

RBI: Garver (10), Donaldson (8), Cruz 2 (14), Sano 2 (11), Adrianza (5), Buxton (6)

SF: Garver (2), Adrianza (3)

GIDP: Arraez (3)

 

Detroit

• Boyd. 4.2IP, 4H, 7ER, 5BB, 4K's, 5.53ERA
• Nova. 1.1IP, 2H, 1ER, 3K's, 5.94ERA
• Schreiber 1.0IP,1H, 2 K's 4.90ERA
• Farmer (W, 2-1) 1.0IP 7.20ERA
• Jimenez (S,4). 1.0IP 0.00ERA

Minnesota

• Odorizzi. 6.0IP, 8H, 4ER, 3K's 4.78ERA
• Smeltzer (BS,1). 0.1IP, 3H, 4ER, 1K 6.31ERA
• Duffey. 0.2IP, 1K 3.55ERA
• Clippard (L, 1-2). 2.0IP, 2H, 1ER, 2K's 9.31ERA