Twins 9, White Sox 2: Buxton, Bundy Lead Twins to Needed Comfortable Win

[Seth Stohs]

The Twins offense has certainly struggled. Even in their Wins on Thursday and Friday ,they scored a combined three runs. What they needed on Saturday was a nice, relaxing game with more solid pitching and a breakout from the offense. Byron Buxton, Luis Arraez, Ryan Jeffers and Dylan Bundy provided the Twins with exactly what they needed in a nice, comfortable win. 

Box Score 
SP: Dylan Bundy: 5.0 IP,4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K (79 pitches, 59 strikes (74.7%))
Home Runs: Byron Buxton (4), Ryan Jeffers (1) 
Top 3 WPA: Dylan Bundy (.186), Byron Buxton (.171), Luis Arraez (.130) 

Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)

Pregame Injury Updates
Before the game on Saturday, the Twins announced that Gary Sanchez's abdominal injury was fairly minor but that he would need to be out a few days. That is good news. Of course, it still required some roster moves. 

The Twins selected the contract of catcher Jose Godoy to have a backup backstop for the next few games. It will be interesting because since they have already DFAd him. If they decide to DFA him again when he gets sent down, he will have the right to become a free agent rather than accept an outright if he cleared waivers. That said, he has options, so the Twins could do that. 

To make room on the 28-man roster, reliever Jhon Romero was placed on the 10-day Injured List with biceps tendinitis. But to make room on the 40-man roster, the Twins placed reliever Jorge Alcala on the 60-Day Injured List. We had heard that he had a setback in his recovery from an elbow injury. Moving him to the 60-Day IL means he won't pitch in the big leagues for at least six weeks. It also allows him to be more patient with his rehab and hopefully return. 

Bundy Rolls 
As we all expected when news of the Dylan Bundy signing broke just before the lockout began, he has started the season by going 3-0 with a 0.59 ERA and a 0.72 WHIP. I mean, that’s what you expected, right? 

Bundy was the fourth-overall pick in the 2011 MLB draft out of high school in Oklahoma. He was a hard-throwing righty who often hit triple-digits. He made his MLB debut in late 2012, but then he was injured and didn’t get back to the big leagues until 2016. Short story long, Bundy has certainly faced ups and downs throughout his career, both in terms of health and production. 

What Bundy appears to have done, or at least has been doing at the start of this season, is completely buy into a mindset of who he is and what he can be as a pitcher. Instead of reaching back and throwing fastballs in the upper 90s, he is now mixing all of his pitches and relying heavily on his breaking pitches. On Saturday afternoon, he threw just 32% four-seam fastballs. He threw 30% sliders, 16% changeups, 13% curveballs, and 9% sinkers. 

Most importantly, he has been throwing strikes and working ahead in the count. In 15 1/3 innings this season, he has struck out 12 batters while walking just one batter. 

Likely the credit needs to be split. We assume that he has worked with pitching coaches Wes Johnson, Luis Ramirez, and Pete Maki to develop a strategy and game plan. But Bundy has bought into it, and he is executing the plan and the pitches. While it isn’t fair to expect this kind of performance from Bundy every start or all season long, it certainly has earned him some lengthy leash. 

Byron Buxton is Back! 
The Twins and Buxton were wise to be patient with Byron Buxton following his scare last Sunday. Initially, the fear was he would be out for a whole, but when an MRI came back that it was “just inflammation,” they could have pushed him back. Instead, they gave him the necessary rest. 

He played on Thursday night, and then they gave him Friday night off to see how he responded. He was back in the lineup on Saturday night, and the response was tremendous. He hit a single in his first at-bat. In his second at-bat, he hit a line drive to right field (at 108 mph), and when the throw to the infield came to first base, he kept running and turned a single into a double. Third at-bat? He destroyed a ball into the 2nd deck in left field, a two-run homer. He was hit by a pitch in the ribs his next time to the plate (clearly unintentional), and with the right side of the infield open, he slapped a single to right field. It’s good to have Byron Buxton at the top of the lineup, making things happen and clearly having a lot of fun.

He is now hitting .344/.400/.844 (1.244) on the season. 

All Rise for Arraez
Following Buxton in the Twins lineup on Saturday was Luis Arraez. Like Buxton, Arraez had a four-hit game. Arraez used the whole field to record his 4-for-5 day. But, he was able to still drive in three runs in the game, nearly doubling his season total to seven RBI. 

Arraez is now hitting .364/.429/.477 (.906) through 14 games. 

Arraez returned to third base in this game. To be honest, he has been really poor defensively at that position in the early season. On Saturday, he made all of the plays. 

Jeffers Jolt 
The Twins decided to trade catchers Mitch Garver and Ben Rortvedt before the season, which really showed their confidence in Ryan Jeffers. He is off to a slow start this season, but things may have turned around in the late innings on Friday night. 

In the 8th inning on Friday, he hit a double, which started the unlikely (and unusual) rally. He advanced to third base on a wild pitch that didn’t get too far away from the catcher, which made for a tougher play on The Play With Two Errors. Then, protecting a one-run lead in the bottom of the ninth, he blocked a couple of balls in the dirt, a breaking ball that landed about four feet in front of the plate with a runner on third base. Finally, he framed the final pitch, a borderline fastball on the inside corner at the knees to end the game.

I remind you of all of that because contributing to an unlikely, fun, important win against a divisional competitor can absolutely alter the momentum of your season, in large part by helping him regain confidence. In each of his Saturday at-bats, Jeffers hit the ball hard. After not having an extra-base hit on the season until Friday night’s double, he hit a double at 101.7 mph in his first at-bat on Saturday. A couple of innings later, Jeffers hit a ball 102.4 mph into the bleachers in left field for his first home run of the season. He added a walk and a strikeout to end the day 2-for-3. 

Respect the Competition
On Saturday afternoon, Detroit Tigers DH Miguel Cabrera lined a single to right field. It’s something he has done so many times in his career. This one was special for him, his teammates, and the Tigers' fans, especially those who were at Comerica Park on Saturday. This was his 3,000th hit. 

• Cabrera became the 33rd player in MLB history to join the 3,000 Hit Club. 
• He is one of seven players in MLB history to have 3,000 hits and 500 home runs. 
• He joins Hank Aaron and Willie Mays as the only players in MLB history to have 3,000 hits, 500 home runs, and a .300 batting average. 

Congratulations, Miguel Cabrera! 

What’s Next? 

The Twins will finish their series at home against the White Sox at Target Field at 1:10 pm. The Twins will send right-hander Chris Archer (0-0, 2.16 ERA) to the mound. The White Sox will counter with Lucas Giolito, who will be making his first start of the season. He has been out with an abdominal injury. On Tuesday, he threw about 50 pitches in a simulated game in Arizona, so he could potentially throw 70-75 pitches on Sunday. 

For the record, I am also OK with 9-2 wins. Maybe another tomorrow?  

Postgame Interviews

Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet

	TUE	WED	THU	FRI	SAT	TOT
Pagán	0	0	9	34	0	43
Stashak	0	21	0	0	22	43
Thielbar	0	15	0	0	22	37
Romero	30	0	0	0	IL	30
Jax	0	0	0	29	0	29
Duffey	15	0	0	13	0	28
Coulombe	0	0	0	0	28	28
Smith	2	0	16	0	0	18
Duran	0	0	15	0	0	15
Winder	0	0	0	0	0	0

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[wsnydes]

That's the kinda game I expect from the offense.  Hopefully this is a good springboard for the bats, but that remains to be seen.

Great game though!  Let's break out the brooms tomorrow!

[LastOnePicked]

Seth, didn't you just ask for an easy 7-2 victory? They saw that, and raised you two.

In short, make more requests like this. See what happens. And I agree about momentum. Yesterday's unlikely win felt like an antidote to snake bite venom. Keep going for the sweep tomorrow.

[D.C Twins]

Buck is Back! As goes Buck, so will go the Twins.

I am ready to let Sano have a fresh start elsewhere and now. 

He is an albatross that could sink team morale and momentum. 

If he catches fire somewhere else, good for him! I wish him well.

It's been enough here... more than enough. 

[GNess]

Great performance and Buxton is a catalyst for this team. Not sure it matters, and I generally prefer to steer clear of being overly critical of the manager, but why use both left-handed relievers in basically mop up roles?

[Wyotwinsfan]

Just like that the Twins are in 2nd place!   I know it’s early, but it beats being in last place early in the season.  It’s also so fun to watch Buxton laughing and having fun.  

[Monticore]

Good to see Jeffers hitting. 

[jmlease1]

Buxton is the straw that stirs the drink.

Very nice win. When your opponent is drowning, don't throw them a rope, give them an anchor. Really good to put them hammer down on the ChiSox.

I hope this means Jeffers is working his way out of the early season doledrums? Can't say I was expecting things to go this well for Bundy out the gate (he was the pitching acquisition I was the least enthused about), but I have no complaints. Maybe the team has him on a good path, maybe he's just healthy and feeling good, but regardless the results are what we want.

Let's get the bats in gear and see what we have. Would love to see a sweep tomorrow!

[Rosterman]

I almost want to see Arraez at first base. At least until Kirilloff comes back! Then just cycle thru Sano at DH as needed.

 

Cubs beat Pirates 21-0. Pirates only used three pitchers for this stumble and one position player on the mound for the 8-innings they had to cover.

 

[Doctor Gast]

Our spark plug is back! Seems like we barely run on 4 cyliders w/o Buck, with Buck we run on all 8. Bundy pitched another fine game.

[bighat]

I think all wins have come with Buxton on the field. As Byron goes, so go the Twins.

[USAFChief]

Sure glad they got Buxton inked to a long term deal last winter.  

Get the sweep done tomorrow!

[stringer bell]

Surviving a tough April schedule so far. Within a half game of first place with a much easier schedule in May. So far, most of the hitters have been disappointing, but the rotation has been a real surprise. I think the bullpen is a work in progress, but there are pieces there. 

Byron Buxton is attaining his offensive potential which is a level that very few people can reach. This is the most optimistic I have felt about the team since they broke camp. One rather large reason for this is the mess that is the Chicago White Sox, although many of their problems are injury-related.

[GKuehl]

With how well Bundy has been pitching, I wonder how likely it is we pick up his $11 million option next season (with a $1 million buyout if we don’t pick it up). 
 

After he inked his deal, I figured it was just a 1-year deal with almost no shot we’d choose to pay Bundy $11 million next season. However, he looks like a guy that can perform well, particularly after he looks to have reinvented himself and bought into the Wes Johnson “sliders, sliders, and more sliders” model. 

[Monkeypaws]

I know the season is young, and change is possible, but some of you owe Bundy an apology, at least for April.

He's making it look easy.

[cHawk]

Great win! Let’s bring out the brooms tomorrow!

[Aerodeliria]

Good pitching + defense + (at least a sprinkling of) offense = Ws. (It's an old formula but it seems to work ?

[jimbo92107]

Something very odd is happening with this team, and maybe it's time we started adjusting our expectations.

Usually, fans like us talk about multiple "If's" needing to go well in order for the Twins to be any good at all. Usually we conclude that it's just too many if's (wishes) to come true, and that the team will once again be mediocre.

Maybe it's time we start seeing that this team has enormous potential. How good are these guys? How good can they be? 

It begins with the starting rotation. When the Twins acquired Sonny Gray, we celebrated. Finally, something like an "ace" to go with Ryan and Ober and whoever else they could scrounge up. Multiple rookie prospects were considered, but then Dylan Bundy, Chris Archer and Chris Paddack were added, leaving room for just one prospect, Josh Winder. Now, we were looking at one "ace," two unproven semi-rookies, and three veterans with histories of arm trouble. Plus one more rookie, Winder. Besides Gray, were any of them going to pan out? A ton of nervous "If's" at the most important position, and that's just for starters...heh-heh...

It continues with the position players. Could Buck stay healthy? Would he perform? Could they get anything out of Larnach? Would Jeffers learn to hit? Was Arraez going to be hobbled by that knee? Would Sano start to hit? Would Kirilloff recover? Would Gordon continue to improve? Would Urshella be any good? Would Correa become a leader? Would Polanco keep hitting and playing top 2B? Could Sanchez ever field a bounced pitch? Another ton of "If's."

Results so far for the starting pitchers has been little short of astounding. They're all pitching well, even the rookies and the retread veterans. Especially good has been Dylan Bundy, the big power hurler that lost his upper 90's fastball, now learning to be an artist on the mound. Using a new mix of off-speed stuff and pinpoint control, Bundy has been a revelation with a sub-1.00 ERA. 

Results for position players has been puzzling. First couple weeks featured an awful lot of whiffs and bad luck. But now, sparked by a mature superstar Byron Buxton and bat-wizard Louis Arraez, the offense is coming alive. As a squad, they're starting to believe in themselves. That can make a team very dangerous. 

How good can these guys be? It's beginning to look like this 2022 Twins team can be extremely good.

[Whitey333]

Finally a great overall Twins win!!  I sure hope this gets the offense going on a more regular basis.  Let's sweep the White Sox.  

[2wins87]

Good win.

I do have one gripe: when is Rocco going to get Winder into action again. I would have thought he would be willing to use him in a situation that he was willing to use Jax Friday. Then the starter exits after 5 with a big lead and he uses 4 relievers instead.

It's been 8 days since Winder has been in a game I think. I would guess they will send him to St Paul to get stretched out as a starter when they go down to 13 pitchers. Why are they even keeping him up if he's not going to get into games?

[Old Twins Cap]

It's the starting pitching.

Twins fans mercilessly ripped the front office for the Bundy signing, and spent the whole off-season complaining that they were wasting Buxton's "window years".  Lots of question marks -- Ryan, Ober, the other prospects, and the pedigree of last year's signings that ruined the season,.

Welp, how does Number 1 in the American League ERA feel?

You don't get where they are, and their hitting has been historically bad, without that pitching.   And the bullpen has blown two late-game leads....

 

[roger]

Interesting situation with Godoy.  I was curious what they would do for a third catcher when Rortvedt was traded.  The recent injury proves teams should have a reliable third catcher on the 40-man roster.  Hopefully, they will option Godoy to St. Paul when Sanchez returns, so he is available when needed.

[Whitey333]

Buxton day off wasn't to see how his knee would respond.  Baldelli said it was his scheduled day off.  And we know we can't interrupt Baldellis analytics computer schedule.  That would be wrong.

[stringer bell]

1 hour ago, 2wins87 said:

Good win.

I do have one gripe: when is Rocco going to get Winder into action again. I would have thought he would be willing to use him in a situation that he was willing to use Jax Friday. Then the starter exits after 5 with a big lead and he uses 4 relievers instead.

It's been 8 days since Winder has been in a game I think. I would guess they will send him to St Paul to get stretched out as a starter when they go down to 13 pitchers. Why are they even keeping him up if he's not going to get into games?

It appears that Winder is around solely for long relief now that the starters are going long enough that a piggyback situation is improbable. With Gray seemingly ready to return to the rotation, there really doesn't appear to be any need to keep him around as insurance. Of course, that could all change in one day. It would figure that Winder will be one of the guys shipped out after May 1.

[Whitey333]

Has anyone heard why Correa isn't in the lineup Sunday?  I'm assuming he must be hurt or sick or something.  Not even our weird manager would give a $35 million dollar another scheduled day off.  Gordon playing short today is ok but Correa has already had days off and certainly hasn't lived up to that hefty payday so far.  If I was the front office or owner I would want him in there when I'm paying him that much.  But we have to keep sending automatic out Sano there almost every day.  I'm hoping for a good day from Sano. Correa?  What's the story?  Unless he's hurt/ sick he should be playing especially in front of the home crowd.  Some people still pay a lot of money to watch a ballgame at Target field.  They deserve to have their best available lineup out there.

[USNMCPO]

13 hours ago, USAFChief said:

Sure glad they got Buxton inked to a long term deal last winter.  

Get the sweep done tomorrow!

Amen Brother

[Seth Stohs]

51 minutes ago, Whitey333 said:

Has anyone heard why Correa isn't in the lineup Sunday?  I'm assuming he must be hurt or sick or something.  Not even our weird manager would give a $35 million dollar another scheduled day off.  Gordon playing short today is ok but Correa has already had days off and certainly hasn't lived up to that hefty payday so far.  If I was the front office or owner I would want him in there when I'm paying him that much.  But we have to keep sending automatic out Sano there almost every day.  I'm hoping for a good day from Sano. Correa?  What's the story?  Unless he's hurt/ sick he should be playing especially in front of the home crowd.  Some people still pay a lot of money to watch a ballgame at Target field.  They deserve to have their best available lineup out there.

Why would how much a guy gets paid alter the plan to keep guys fresh? Might make it even more important. 

[Seth Stohs]

2 hours ago, stringer bell said:

It appears that Winder is around solely for long relief now that the starters are going long enough that a piggyback situation is improbable. With Gray seemingly ready to return to the rotation, there really doesn't appear to be any need to keep him around as insurance. Of course, that could all change in one day. It would figure that Winder will be one of the guys shipped out after May 1.

I'm certain that was always part of the plan, because the plan is for him to be an impact starter, not a reliever. 

[Shaitan]

3 hours ago, 2wins87 said:

Good win.

I do have one gripe: when is Rocco going to get Winder into action again. I would have thought he would be willing to use him in a situation that he was willing to use Jax Friday. Then the starter exits after 5 with a big lead and he uses 4 relievers instead.

It's been 8 days since Winder has been in a game I think. I would guess they will send him to St Paul to get stretched out as a starter when they go down to 13 pitchers. Why are they even keeping him up if he's not going to get into games?

With a 28-person roster and 27 pitchers on it, that's just the way it's going to be.

[Shaitan]

"Initially, the fear was he would be out for a whole, but when an MRI came back that it was “just inflammation...”

This almost feels like an intentional typo, given his injury history. ?