Twins 10, Red Sox 5: The Nick Gordon Show

[Matt Braun]

With a little help from his friends, Nick Gordon guided the Twins to victory.

 

 

 

Box Score
Chris Archer: 4 ⅓ IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
Home Runs: Jake Cave (3), Nick Gordon (6), Gary Sánchez (13)
Top 3 WPA: Nick Gordon (.509), Jose Miranda (.118), Jake Cave (.085)

Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)

Chris Archer took the mound opposite Kutter Crawford on Tuesday. The veteran righty was well-acquainted with the Red Sox; he spent his glory years with the Rays in the same division as his opponent on Tuesday. While the players have largely changed, Boston’s laundry remains an old foe.

The early innings were easy to digest; Nick Gordon—after consecutive walks by Max Kepler and Jose Miranda—swung at an outside breaking ball and smoked a Joe Mauer special into left-center field, scoring both runners to give the Twins a 2-0 lead in the 1st frame. Gordon’s eventful night would be far from over.

The Twins jabbed once more in the following inning: Jake Cave caught up to a high fastball, packing just enough oomph to will the ball over the left-center field wall. Kiké Hernández, try as he might, could not break free from gravity with enough force to rob Cave’s blast. The solo homer marked Cave’s third long ball since re-joining the Twins.

The game stopped to rest in the 3rd inning before continuing its hectic drama; a marvelous defense gem by Carlos Correa provided the sole highlight.

The fun started in the 4th inning; the Red Sox, ever aware of Archer’s struggles beyond the early frames, singled, doubled, sac-flied, and walked; a run was on the board, and the situation turned dire in an instant. Archer refused to give in, and a perfectly-placed slider coaxed a ground ball off Trevor Story’s bat; Gordon and Correa turned two, and the threat ended as quickly as it began.

Boston’s bats were not deterred, and the 5th inning proved deadly to Archer’s start. A barrage of singles scored a run, knocking Archer out of the game while leaving the inning’s fate to the cleaner, Caleb Thielbar. The lefty—so well-trusted by Rocco Baldelli in these situations—revealed mortality as Xander Bogaerts dumped a game-tying single into left field and Rafael Devers walked. With the threat still at Defcon 1, Michael Fulmer emerged to put out the fire—which he did—but not before another run scored off a wild pitch. It was messy, brutish, and downright ugly, but the Red Sox walked out of the 5th inning with a one-run lead.

Remember that sentence earlier about Nick Gordon? With aid from a truly egregious error from Alex Verdugo, the Twins loaded the bases for the second baseman, gifting him a chance to prove himself. In a season that has lacked a true ignitor—the kind of guy whose spark brings a team to life, Gordon has shown flashes of becoming that sort of player; could he do it once more? The count was 0-2, but that didn’t matter; Gordon jumped on a low fastball and crushed a grand slam over the high wall in right field.

The home run was so crucial that Gary Sánchez hit a titanic bomb the following frame, and almost no one will remember it. 

The teams exchanged runs as the outs whittled away—a single here, a double there—but the game’s momentum never budged, and the Twins ended Tuesday's game as the victors.

Notes:

Nick Gordon is slashing .311/.360/.511 over his last 30 games.

Jake Cave is slugging .667 over his last seven games.

Chris Archer has crossed the five-inning threshold twice since the end of June.

Griffin Jax has not given up an earned run since August 10th; he owns 12 strikeouts over 8 2/3 innings.

Post-Game Interviews

What’s Next?
Joe Ryan and Michael Wacha will lead their respective teams in the game’s final series on Wednesday night.

Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet

 

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[BH67]

Good time for a Twins surge.  Even with five straight wins, they remain 3 games back of the third wild card spot and 1.5 back of Cleveland.  Finishing a sweep tomorrow and then taking advantage of the fading White Sox this weekend is essential.  It was another strong night for the bullpen (even for Magill, who retired Bogaerts and Devers after giving up a walk and a double), and we saw plenty of offensive support around Nick Gordon on his magnificent evening.

[scottsilvi]

This write up was a delight. Might be the goat. 

[MplsFan]

Yes.  Amazing writing in this recap.  Loved it and the game.

Nick Gordon: “the chemistry is crazy.”  From my vantage point as a fan mostly watching on TV, it seems Gordon has a HUGE hand in creating that chemistry.  Constant cheerleader.  So happy that guy is finding success.

[Mortimerkenny21]

Congrats Nick Gordon, GS, 6 RBIs unreal!!! Gary Sanchez moon shot, and Jake Cave HR! You just never know in baseball. Cave man has been on a tear too!

[bighat]

When the season started, I thought that Nick Gordon deserved a chance to earn a roster spot. As the season progressed, I started thinking that Nick Gordon was definitely worthy of a roster spot and would have a great career as a utility guy. As we roll into September, I now believe that Nick Gordon is a full-time starter and should play every day, without fail. 

There have been so many games where Gordon is in the middle of everything, He's given this team serious contributions on offense, he stays on the field and makes plays on defense. Maybe he's not even reached his ceiling? I want to see his name in the Twins lineup every day for years to come, alongside Miranda. 

[rwilfong86]

Another nice win, I figured after 6 straight losses they would be done but I am happy to be wrong. 

[wsnydes]

Awesome night for Gordon.  Love seeing him play well after everything he endured on his way up.  And he's playing well at the right time.

[William K Johnson]

Agree with earlier comments.   I was content in his role as a super utility guy, but now, how do you keep him out of the lineup?     Even Baldelli's pinch hitting for him the night before had no effect on his attitude or play.

[wabene]

28 minutes ago, William K Johnson said:

Agree with earlier comments.   I was content in his role as a super utility guy, but now, how do you keep him out of the lineup?     Even Baldelli's pinch hitting for him the night before had no effect on his attitude or play.

That's because, as was seen on TV, Baldelli managed the situation. 

[jmlease1]

I think it was fair to wonder if Nick Gordon was going to develop any kind of power, and last season he looked a lot like a guy who was going to be a light-hitting utility guy whose biggest asset was his willingness and ability to play anywhere. He looked pretty decent as a backup CF, so he had real positional flexibility. This year he's really stepped up and been a much, much better hitter. He's looking like the guy who was having a terrific season at AAA before a) he got hurt, and b) Luis Arraez passed him up. Gordon has all of his health problems under control and he's become a real asset as a player. Love to see it.

Happy to see Sanchez obliterate a ball. (And he crushed that one) He'd been in a slump, but has looked pretty good again more recently. (His platoon splits confuse me; before this season he's always hit lefties well and this year he's been basically helpless against them and it's strange)

Getting a series win was my goal for the team going into this 3 game set. Be wonderful if they can get the sweep. Anyone else recall when Rosenthal ran that bit on how the Twins were going to finish 5 games behind the ChiSox? 

[mikelink45]

In a game this good it is hard to find a negative, but Archer does not deserve more starts.  If Winder is ready I want to see him in that role.  It was a nice opportunity and everyone hoped to see the old Archer, but we have a four inning starter and its getting old.  Put him in the pen or DFA, he is not part of next year. 

[Nashvilletwin]

Gordon’s progress is an incredibly important development for the Twins - not only this season as we enter the stretch run with lots of injuries, but also next season as we look to continue to build our roster cost effectively.

The silver lining of our injuries (particularly Larnach, Kiriloff and Buxton) has been the emergence of Gordon. Without those injuries, we might never have known what we have in Gordon - which is an everyday starting calibre position player.

Gordon now provides great flexibility in terms of roster construction and budget management. In particular, if we are looking to reposition a few dollars into the pen or a starter, Gordon’s emergence allows the FO to have frank discussions about Urshela and Kepler if desired.

[Squirrel]

22 minutes ago, mikelink45 said:

In a game this good it is hard to find a negative, but Archer does not deserve more starts.  If Winder is ready I want to see him in that role.  It was a nice opportunity and everyone hoped to see the old Archer, but we have a four inning starter and its getting old.  Put him in the pen or DFA, he is not part of next year. 

Well, that wasn’t that difficult, obviously. ? But I do agree that the Archer situation needs to be addressed. Either find someone who can consistently give as many innings each game and stack them, or move Archer to the pen. Depending on what happens in all the rehab starts that Winder, Ober and Dobnak are making, something will need to be done.

[Blyleven2011]

I've been waiting for a 10 game winning streak for quite a long time ...

5 wins in a row , 5 more to go and that should  get us back in first place  ....  

If we're contenders we need that 10 game winning streak  .... NO QUARTER , NO MINNESOTA NICE , just go out there with a winning attitude  and play hard ...

[Doctor Gast]

So happy to see Gordon shine! He continues to surprizes me, with more experience he gets. Maybe he'll fulfill our orignal expections. I really like his new look with pants legs down, instead of rolled up, it becomes him with his new look at the plate. I can see him get more & more confidence & crave more & more that fanfare which could really ignite him & the team. Hats off to you, Nick! Keep it up!

[Dman]

The Twins needed that win and it was nice to see them score on another teams pen for once.  I kind of thought after that ugly inning the Twins might not score again but was happy to be wrong.  I also thought they would throw Gordon something low and away out of the zone with two strikes as he does like to chase but they didn't and his HR was the back breaker.  Happy for Nick who is  moving that OPS into MIranda range and looks like someone who could hold down a legit full time position now.  He finally seems to have found a bit more power which has changed the calculus on what he can do at the plate. 

Anyway the Twins need to keep on winning to either catch the Indians or grab a wild card spot.  So keep it going please.

[puckstopper1]

FANTASTIC game for Gordon!  His .509 WPA for the game might be the highest for a Twins player in any game this season.

Nice to see the Twins get some value out of the high pick they invested in Gordon - especially when players like Aaron Nola, Trea Turner and Matt Chapman were taken after him.  Of course, that could be said of most players.

[Karbo]

4 hours ago, bighat said:

When the season started, I thought that Nick Gordon deserved a chance to earn a roster spot. As the season progressed, I started thinking that Nick Gordon was definitely worthy of a roster spot and would have a great career as a utility guy. As we roll into September, I now believe that Nick Gordon is a full-time starter and should play every day, without fail. 

There have been so many games where Gordon is in the middle of everything, He's given this team serious contributions on offense, he stays on the field and makes plays on defense. Maybe he's not even reached his ceiling? I want to see his name in the Twins lineup every day for years to come, alongside Miranda. 

The more the guy plays the better he looks! 

[terrydactyls]

2 hours ago, wabene said:

That's because, as was seen on TV, Baldelli managed the situation. 

Whoa.  Slow down there, wabene.  You should know by now that you are NOT allowed to say positive things about Baldelli.  He is the source of all bad things that happen to the Twins.  ?

[terrydactyls]

1 hour ago, mikelink45 said:

In a game this good it is hard to find a negative, but Archer does not deserve more starts.  If Winder is ready I want to see him in that role.  It was a nice opportunity and everyone hoped to see the old Archer, but we have a four inning starter and its getting old.  Put him in the pen or DFA, he is not part of next year. 

Is it mandatory to say only negative things?  Archer was Archer.  Did you expect Nolan Ryan instead.  He is what he is.  Enjoy the great game.

BTW, if you must insert a negative comment, how about the Boston defense?

[teachercoach]

Interesting that runs and consistent threats happening with Buxton out and Polanco sitting.

[Teflon]

Has Nick Gordon played his way into consideration for a starting role in 2023?

[LA VIkes Fan]

1 hour ago, Squirrel said:

Well, that wasn’t that difficult, obviously. ? But I do agree that the Archer situation needs to be addressed. Either find someone who can consistently give as many innings each game and stack them, or move Archer to the pen. Depending on what happens in all the rehab starts that Winder, Ober and Dobnak are making, something will need to be done.

I'm hoping that the next turn for that spot on Monday is a Sanchez/Archer piggyback with Sanchez going to first 4-6 followed by Archer for another 3-4. We have the extra pitcher in September. Archer comes in for a clean inning; if Sanchez needs a mid inning replacement it's handled by Theilbar or Fulmer. 

[USAFChief]

45 minutes ago, terrydactyls said:

  Archer was Archer.  Did you expect Nolan Ryan instead.  He is what he is.  Enjoy the great game.

Yes. Yes he was. Which is why I also want someone besides Archer to take his next start. 

 

[umterp23]

I'm a fan of Archer and Bundy being the piggyback to get us through the rest of the year if Winder is healthy to be the starter moving forward. Archer is consistent with 4 innings per start and then we hold our breath when he comes back out for the 5th which is a rare sighting.  

Gordon deserves to be on the field for sure in a full time role vs a bench spot.  Kepler could be odd man out in the OF next year depending on Larnach and where Kiriloff's set position is.  

[PDX Twin]

1 hour ago, puckstopper1 said:

FANTASTIC game for Gordon!  His .509 WPA for the game might be the highest for a Twins player in any game this season.

Cave actually had one over 0.550 last week. Key hits from unexpected places!

[chinmusic]

2 hours ago, Blyleven2011 said:

I've been waiting for a 10 game winning streak for quite a long time ...

If the Twins complete the Red Sox sweep tonight ( I think they will), and sweep the White Sox (I think they might), #10 will be a day game against A. Judge and Co. at Yankee Stadium on Monday. A great way to celebrate Labour Day!

[Alex Schieferdecker]

Thursday off-day really helps this bullpen outlook. Ideally you don't need to dig too deep tonight, but if you need to use some big guns, you can, knowing that they'll all be rested for the Chicago series.

[chpettit19]

1 hour ago, LA VIkes Fan said:

I'm hoping that the next turn for that spot on Monday is a Sanchez/Archer piggyback with Sanchez going to first 4-6 followed by Archer for another 3-4. We have the extra pitcher in September. Archer comes in for a clean inning; if Sanchez needs a mid inning replacement it's handled by Theilbar or Fulmer. 

I think their stated concern with Archer coming out of the pen is the amount of work that goes into getting him ready to pitch. He's the Buxton of the pitching staff. Getting his body ready to play is a whole ordeal and he's not suited to sit in the pen and then get warm when needed. I assume they have no plan to take him out of the rotation, but if they insist on him staying here I'd like to see someone who'll piggyback him after the 4th every start for the rest of the year. Just let him do his 4 innings and sit down. Let Sanchez or Winder or Ober take the game over in the 5th no matter what (he's never going to go 9 innings so I don't even care about having a perfect game through 4) and then let them go for as many as they can.