Game Score: Yankees 7, Twins 1

[Matthew Taylor]

The Minnesota Twins' bats were quiet and Kenta Maeda left the game with an arm injury in the Twins 7-1 loss to the New York Yankees. In other words, it was just another day in the Bronx for the Twins.

Box Score
Maeda: 4 1/3 IP, 4 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 5K
Home Runs: Polanco (22)
Bottom 3 WPA: Donaldson -.148, Polanco -.127, Garcia -.100
Win Probability Chart (via Fangraphs)

It was a pitcher’s duel early on in the Bronx on Saturday afternoon with team aces Gerrit Cole and Kenta Maeda exchanging great performances from each dugout. 

The New York Yankees got on the board first in the bottom of the second inning after a hit-by-pitch by Rougned Odor kicked off a rally for the Yankees, ending with a RBI single by Tyler Wade gave the New York Yankees an early 1-0 lead.

The Minnesota Twins had a great chance to get on the board themselves in the top of the 5th inning when they had the bases loaded and Josh Donaldson up to the plate, but Donaldson took a called third strike to end the Twins rally and preserve Cole’s outstanding outing.

Things took a turn for the worse for Maeda and the Minnesota Twins in the bottom of the 5th inning, though, when Maeda lost all control of his pitches. Maeda allowed a double and a single before hitting Anthony Rizzo, throwing a wild pitch, and walking Aaron Judge on nine consecutive balls. Following the walk to Judge and a ball to the next hitter, Maeda motioned for the trainers to come out and Maeda was promptly removed from the game with what was called right forearm tightness.

Responsible for all three runs on the bases after being removed from the game, Twins reliever Edgar Garcia allowed each of the runs to score on doubles from Giancarlo Stanton and Luke Voit to give the Yankees a five-run inning and push their lead to 6-0.

On the day, Maeda pitched 4 1/3 innings and allowed five earned runs on four hits, one walk and two hit batters.

Across the diamond, Gerrit Cole was much more effective for the New York Yankees, limiting the Twins to just five hits across scoreless innings while striking out six.

While the rest of the Twins’ offense struggled to push runs across the plate, Jorge Polanco stayed on his ridiculous hot streak at the plate, blasting a solo home run to left field in the bottom of the 8th to give the Twins their first (and only) run of the game.

The Yankees sure didn’t need any insurance runs, but they got another one in the bottom of the 8th inning on a solo shot from backup shortstop, Andrew Velazquez.

The Twins would wind up losing to the New York Yankees 7-1, making it three losses in a row and cementing yet another series loss to the Bronx Bombers. 

What’s Next?
The Twins will look to avoid a 4-game sweep tomorrow afternoon when they send Griffin Jax to the mound to face off against old friend Luis Gil.

Editor’s note: It has since been announced that Sunday’s game has been rained out.

Bullpen Usage Chart

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[Vanimal46]

Yankees fans experience more stress sitting on a beach than watching them against the Twins. 

This is my first time seeing Garcia and Garza Jr pitch live on TV. They’re both unimpressive. 

[Unwinder]

Uh, what are we looking at for Kenta at this point? Are the Twins reduced to rookies/bullpen games only? That's not great.

[purplesoldier4u]

The Twins are a joke!

[Vanimal46]

[AceWrigley]

ummm . . . yeah.

[h2oface]

Garcia fits right in. 3 inherited runners with one out. That's a tough spot, for sure, but the visitor here did the worst job. All three runners scored. Maeda lost it, sure, but it looks like maybe for the next season as well..... forearm tightness is TJs child. That was the last we will see of Kenta for the season, and my bet is most of next, if not all.

Donaldson has lost his thirst for the big hit. Walks are a part of his game, but to have two strikes on you (and not just today with the bases loaded in the 5th), time after time, he will take that close pitch instead of protecting the plate and fouling it off or putting it into play. With the bases loaded, you cannot hunt the walk, especially with the count 1-2. The team needs you to at least protect the plate and not just watch it (and he watched 2 in a row for 2 called strikes). And they were both even strikes. He looked foolish whining .

I hate watching Luke Voit. 

Team after team. Players after players. This Yankee thing for the Twins is downright sickening.

I hope the game doesn't get rained out tomorrow, and Gil shoves it down the FO's throat and shuts us out, and Cave starts and wears the golden sombero. A showcase of their choices. They deserve it.

[LastOnePicked]

The antics of team "E-Z Pass" continue, year after year. I don't really mind losing to the Yankees this year (draft pick booster), but I'll believe the Twins are capable to winning a playoff series the year I see them absolutely beat up on the Yankees.

Here's hoping that year isn't too far off.

[MABB1959]

Worth it?  Trades with NYY alway make me nervous.  Luis Gil

[PDX Twin]

35 minutes ago, h2oface said:

I hope the game doesn't get rained out tomorrow, and Gil shoves it down the FO's throat and shuts us out, and Cave starts and wears the golden sombero. A showcase of their choices. They deserve it.

Looks like a hurricane and flood warnings in the forecast, so I'm betting there is no game.

[h2oface]

7 hours ago, PDX Twin said:

Looks like a hurricane and flood warnings in the forecast, so I'm betting there is no game.

Yup. Postponed already. Like a snow day in Virginia, when they close the schools for the next day from the weather forcast (but many times, it is a nice day). But Hurricanes and floods.... nothing to mess with. Good call. They had to shut down the big Central Park Reopening Concert early today, too!

[PDX Twin]

28 minutes ago, h2oface said:

Yup. Postponed already. Like a snow day in Virginia, when they close the schools for the next day from the weather forcast (but many times, it is a nice day). Looks like a good call, but seems a bit early to make it.

They probably want the Twins (and maybe Yankees) to get out before the airports close.

[jbeckr]

Take your average little league team, put Yankee uniforms on them, and they beat the Twins nine times out of ten. 

[jkcarew]

Don’t understand how Garrit Cole was able to silence that lineup. Obviously, we just choked.?

[mikelink45]

Thanks Henri. I don't have to check the score and see another ex Twin beat up on us. 

[Aerodeliria]

We seem to want to give Polanco a pass with the bases loaded in the 5th. His whiff was perhaps the more egregious because there was only one out. His homer was meaningless a few innings later.

[yeahyabetcha]

2 minutes ago, Aerodeliria said:

We seem to want to give Polanco a pass with the bases loaded in the 5th. His whiff was perhaps the more egregious because there was only one out. His homer was meaningless a few innings later.

This is the rip on Donaldson and Simmons no matter what site.

[jun]

1 hour ago, jkcarew said:

Don’t understand how Garrit Cole was able to silence that lineup. Obviously, we just choked.?

None of the Twins hitters can touch Cole's heater. That's why.

[Aggies7]

Polanco did have a huge K with the bases loaded and 1 out, but Sheesh. That guy has three walkoffs THIS WEEK. He’s the most clutch player on the team. Donaldson, on the other hand, has been largely a disappointment in those situations the entire year (to put it very mildly). On top of that, after chirping about Cole, he was thoroughly dominated by the Yankees pitcher again. Now 0-6 with 4 K’s since his cole comments. He really showed him!

[h2oface]

49 minutes ago, Aggies7 said:

Polanco did have a huge K with the bases loaded and 1 out, but Sheesh. That guy has three walkoffs THIS WEEK. He’s the most clutch player on the team. Donaldson, on the other hand, has been largely a disappointment in those situations the entire year (to put it very mildly). On top of that, after chirping about Cole, he was thoroughly dominated by the Yankees pitcher again. Now 0-6 with 4 K’s since his cole comments. He really showed him!

I was really hoping JD would get to Cole. Too bad.

[VivaBomboRivera!]

Who think’s Odor’s late time call was total bush league?

[Rik19753]

7 hours ago, Aerodeliria said:

We seem to want to give Polanco a pass with the bases loaded in the 5th. His whiff was perhaps the more egregious because there was only one out. His homer was meaningless a few innings later.

Give the guy a break, he had 3 walk-off hits in the last week and ranks near the top of the league in WPA. He's not going to come though for us every single time. Not to mention that he was up against one of the best pitchers in the league.

[h2oface]

9 hours ago, jkcarew said:

Don’t understand how Garrit Cole was able to silence that lineup. Obviously, we just choked.?

Gerrit. Gerrit Cole. It's an unusual spelling. I need to rabbit hole that name. I would go with Garrett as the most familiar. This made me curious as to its roots.

[h2oface]

8 hours ago, Aerodeliria said:

We seem to want to give Polanco a pass with the bases loaded in the 5th. His whiff was perhaps the more egregious because there was only one out. His homer was meaningless a few innings later.

Not being able to get on top of the high heat wasn't that extraordinarily bad. I can't believe you are likening Polanco to Donaldson at this moment in time. One guy is Mr. Walk-off, and actually tried to hit the high fastball and put it in play....... and the other has been Mr. Watch-it, and was, in my opinion, certainly more egregious, if either was, for not protecting the plate and zone with two strikes and the bases loaded - looking at the close strike, watching the change up without at least an attempt at tipping it foul with a protective late flip of the wrists.

And Polanco's 8th inning homer meant he has no quit in him. I don't find that meaningless. I don't ever find MLB home runs "meaningless". Some are way more important and clutch, but a homer is always a good and meaningful at bat.

Yes. Polanco gets a well deserved pass on this sequence, and Donaldson does not. Exactly. 

[Whitey333]

Twins are a pathetic joke.  Baldelli is a Joke.  Twin s front office is a joke.  But who's laughing?  Total embarrassment as usual against Yankees.  

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

16 hours ago, MABB1959 said:

Worth it?  Trades with NYY alway make me nervous.  Luis Gil

I kind of wanted to see Gil myself. Never seen him yet, not even a video clip. As it turns out, the Yankees will play Atlanta on Monday, where Huascar Ynoa might be lined up for the start. 

Gil versus Ynoa. That would give Pohlad and St. Peter a game to watch together up in their suite on the Twins offday.  

it even looks like its the free game of the day on MLB, so they wouldn’t have to spend any money on a subscription. 

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

9 hours ago, h2oface said:

I was really hoping JD would get to Cole. Too bad.

Donaldson should have asked the umpires to check Cole for Spider Tack!

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

After the 2019 postseason debacle, part of my evaluation process for Twins pitchers is “Would I be confident with this player appearing in the postseason in the Bronx?”

Going into 2021, the answer for me was: Berrios, Rogers, maybe Pineda and maybe Maeda.

cross one more off that list. 

 

[bean5302]

Maeda was pitching hurt and the Twins were facing one of the best starting pitchers in MLB. Seems like a little extra on the rage meter in here. 

[purplesoldier4u]

2 hours ago, bean5302 said:

Maeda was pitching hurt and the Twins were facing one of the best starting pitchers in MLB. Seems like a little extra on the rage meter in here. 

No excuses.