Game Thread 4/29/20 Matchup of the Year: Minnesota Twins (17-13) @ Los Angeles Dodgers (23-6) 7:10pmCT

[thuuuuney]

Catch-Up

The Twins biggest test all year, the Dodgers biggest test all year, and boy was game one worth the price of admission. A back and forth chess-match ballgame yesterday went the way of the Twins in a 3-2 victory but today is the game we've had circled on the calendar all year. It's Clayton Kershaw versus Jose Berrios...need I say more.

 

Pre-game

6:45pm

 

Where to watch

https://www.twitch.tv/thuuuuney/

 

AL Central Standings

1. Minnesota: 17-13  
2. Cleveland: 18-15     
3. Kansas City: 16-14 
4. Chicago: 13-18      
5. Detroit: 8-22           

Starting Pitchers

• Twins: Jose Berrios 3-1, 5.59 ERA, 29.0IP, 32 K's
• Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw** 4-0, 2.57 ERA, 42.0IP, 41 K's

**= Clayton Kershaw: T-1st in NL, Complete Game Shutouts (2).

 

Twins Batting Order

1. RF Max Kepler .232 BA, 7 HR, 10 RBI
2. SS Jorge Polanco .286 BA, 4 HR, 19 RBI
3. C Mitch Garver* .292 BA, 7 HR, 14 RBI
4. 1B Miguel Sano .270 BA, 7 HR, 12 RBI
5. LF Eddie Rosario .238 BA, 3 HR, 12 RBI
6. 3B Josh Donaldson .280 BA, 2 HR, 11 RBI
7. 2B Luis Arraez .308 BA, 1 HR, 6 RBI
8. SP Jose Berrios .143 BA, 0 HR, 0 RBI in 14 Career At-Bats.
9. CF Byron Buxton .247 BA, 5 HR, 11 RBI

*=Mitch Garver: Leads all AL Catchers in HR,BA (7),(.292) respectfully.

 

Dodgers Batting Order

1. RF Mookie Betts .317 BA, 5 HR, 16 RBI
2. 1B Max Muncy .284 BA, 10 HR, 27 RBI
3. 3B Justin Turner .290 BA, 5 HR, 21 RBI
4. CF Cody Bellinger* .348 BA, 8 HR, 28 RBI
5. SS Corey Seager .222 BA, 5 HR, 23 RBI
6. C Will Smith .221 BA, 2 HR, 7 RBI
7. LF Joc Pederson .273 BA, 5 HR, 15 RBI
8. 2B Gavin Lux .352 BA, 1 HR, 12 RBI
9. SP Clayton Kershaw .133 BA, 0 HR, 0 RBI

*= Cody Bellinger: 2nd in NL, RBI (28).

 

Bomba Tracker
- 2019 through 30 games: 52
- 2020: 43

 

Storylines
1. The Twins handed the Dodgers only their second lose of the year at Dodger Stadium yesterday and today it will be a tall order to make it two in a row. In the Live-Ball Era (since 1920) Clayton Kershaw's home ERA (2.15) is the best by any pitcher with at least 1,000 IP at home.

 

2. Although it's been a rough start to the season, LaMaKina has had some dazzling starts and he'll need his best stuff if he wants to stay toe to toe with Kershaw tonight.

 

3. The Twins are 12-12 in the month of April after going 5-1 in March and with this being the final game of April, Rocco's club will look to make it two winning months in a row while the Dodgers have gone 18-6 in the month of April after going 5-0 in March.

 

[thuuuuney]

Miss the game? https://www.twitch.tv/videos/606565894

• Want to skip the pre-game? Time Stamp 24:00

After the Twins win largely thanks to the bullpen in game one, they turn to their ace in Jose Berrios for game two against the ace of the Dodgers staff in Clayton Kershaw. If you missed the game I highly recommend you stop reading this and go watch the replay above because this was arguably my favorite game of the year.

 

The scoring today would begin on an emotional note. We saw Max Kepler get as close as #99 at Target Field with career home runs earlier this week and it was shame he could't get #100 in front of the home crowd, I guess he'll have to settle for hitting it off of Clayton Kershaw.

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

After that Max Muncy would answer and tie the game at 1 a piece and for a while, that's where the score held at. That was, until Jose Berrios had something to say about it.

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

History. Throw the ball in the dugout because Jose Berrios has just gotten his first career RBI and given the Twins the lead. So after this we joked about how he would have to settle down and try to get back to pitching against this vaunted Dodgers lineup, little did we know Berrios was trying to win this one all by himself.

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

In what was the clip of the year thus far, Jose Berrios has just done the impossible. A weak flare to left field scores Arraez on the full count offering and Berrios ran to second base with a purpose and gets an RBI Double in possibly the craziest sequence we'd seen all year. Garver would add this insurance run but the Twins hold on in imporbable fashion 4-2 and will be enjoying their off-day in Cali before taking on the Angels on Friday.

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

Twins (18-13) WIN 4-2 over the Dodgers (23-7)

 

Box Score

 

Minnesota

1. Kepler, RF: 2-4, Carrer HR #100, 2B .241BA
2. Polanco, SS: 0-5 .274BA
3. Garver, C: 1-4 HR .290BA
4. Sano, 1B: 0-3, BB .260BA
5. Rosario, LF: 1-4 .238BA
6. Donaldson, 3B: 1-4 .279BA
7. Arraez, 2B: 1-3, R .308BA
8. Berrios, SP: 2-3, RBI 1B, RBI 2B, .667BA
9. Buxton, CF: 0-4 .237BA

• Cruz PH for Romo in 8th, 0-1.
• No stats accumulated for Tyler Duffey, Sergio Romo, or Taylor Rodgers.

Batting

2B: Kepler (10, leads team), Arraez (6), Berrios (1, 1st career)

HR: Kepler (8), Garver (8)

RBI: Kepler (11), Garver (15), Berrios 2 (2)

 

Fielding

E: Sano (2)

 

Los Angeles 

1. Betts, RF: 0-3 .308BA
2. Muncy, 1B: 1-4 HR .282BA
3. Turner, 3B: 1-4 2B .288BA
4. Bellinger, CF 0-3 .339BA
5. Seager, SS 1-3  .225BA
6. Smith, C 0-3 .213BA
7. Pederson, LF 1-4 HR .271BA
8. Lux, 2B 0-3 .340BA
9. Kershaw, P 0-1 .125BA

• ​Taylor entered as PH in 5th for Kershaw, 0-1. Beaty entered as PH in 7th for Floro, 0-1. 
• Alexander, Floro, Treinen, and Baez no stats accumulated.

Batting

2B: Turner (7)

HR: Muncy (11, 1st in NL), Pederson (6)

RBI: Muncy (28), Pederson (16)

GIDP: Smith (4, leads team)

 

Baserunning

CS: Taylor (2, leads team)

 

Minnesota Pitching

• Berrios (W, 4-1). 6.0IP, 2H, 1ER, 4BB, 5K's 4.88ERA
• Duffey (H, 6). 1.0IP, 1H, 1ER, 1K 3.31ERA
• Romo (H,7). 1.0IP, 1K, 0.00ERA
• Rogers (S,9). 1.0IP, 1H 4.90ERA

Los Angeles Pitching

• Kershaw (L, 4-1). 5.0IP, 6H, 2ER, 1BB, 5K's  2.68ERA
• Alexander. 1.0IP, 1H, 1ER, 1BB, 1K 6.42ERA
• Floro. 1.0IP, 1H, 1ER, 1BB, 6.09ERA
• Treinen. 1.0IP, 1K 4.76ERA
• Baez. 1.0IP, 1K, 0.84ERA