Twins Video
Box Score
SP: Dylan Bundy 4.2 IP, 12 H, 7 ER, 0 BB, 2 K (94 pitches, 64 strikes (68%))
Home Runs: Carlos Correa (19)
Top 3 WPA: Carlos Correa (.224), Jose Miranda (.35), Jovani Moran (.33)
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)
Dylan Bundy started out facing off against Steven Kwan. Kwan hit a high fly ball towards left and Nick Gordon, tracking the ball, slid on his back as he crossed the third base line to catch the ball and get the energy rocking in Target Field to start the game. With such an electric start, the remainder of the first inning proved that the game was going to be contentious, as well as, most likely the rest of the series.
As Bundy tried to work around a one-out start, Amed Rosario and Jose Ramirez got on base and a rip from Josh Naylor to left field got Rosario waved around to home to get the Guardians on the board first. The Guardians quickly showed Bundy and the Twins that they were ready to play and did not care that the Twins were running on fumes from the four-game series and a long night traveling home from New York. The seriousness of the game set in immediately as the Guardians went up 4-0 with a three-run homerun Oscar Gonzalez before the end of the inning and again in the fifth, pushing the score 0-7.
With the bar being set by the Guardians early in the game, pitcher Cal Quantrill matched his offense's energy and the Guardians managed to dominate the Twins in both offense and defense. Mishaps from the Guardians and an overturned call in the second almost sucked the wind out of the team's sails, but they fought back and rebounded. In the fifth inning, the Twins were on a roll starting with a great hit from Correa who has been relentless in his pursuit of getting on base all night.
Correa hit his third homerun in three days and his 900th hit tonight keeping the team in contention.
The entirety of the Twins line-up took turns making magic happen tonight. Sandy Leon had a phenomenal night. Leon ended up being a huge part in the Twins getting runs on the board tonight in both opportunities in both the fifth and the sixth innings. Leon started the game with a strikeout and ended up with a single and a walk, and got home both times thanks to Correa’s hits.
The Twins did not make this win easy on the Guardians, even with all the murky start to the game. The Starting pitching has been struggling to keep the runs down in the last few series and tonight was no exception.
Starting Pitching Woes
Dylan Bundy gave up a career-high 12 hits and seven earned runs. This far into the season, the starting pitching can not afford situations like they have had. In the past 13 games the Twins have only averaged 3.1 runs a game and through the past eight games when Twins Starters have given up runs first, they were unable to fight back and get the win. Last time we had a seven-run comeback was against Cleveland in 2009.
Bundy was pulled after only 4 ⅓ innings, replaced by Aaron Sanchez who stayed in through the eighth inning, and didn’t allow another Guardians run before turning the game over to Jovani Moran.
The bullpen got a much-needed break to continue to the battle this weekend and the offense has the momentum to still claim the division, if they want it badly enough.
Injuries cost on and off the field
The series comes down to who really wants it more. There are of course injuries to take into account. The Twins have 17 players on the IL as of today, most of those being day one guys on the 40-man. The 17 players have an accumulative 1,411 days of missed games and the cost of those players not being played is $11, 745, 225. The Twins are tied with the Reds for the most players currently on the IL, but the salaries are a $2 mill difference.
When looking at September baseball, those numbers not only cost a lot on the books, but also in the standings. The one asset the Twins have is that they have a deep farm system and the players that have been brought up from AAA have really held their own, but are they going to be able to be what we need to get into the postseason?
Pitching Preview Match-Up Cleveland Series:
Saturday 6:15pm CST: Chris Archer (2-7, 4.47 ERA) vs. RHP Tristan McKenzie (9-11, 3.18 ERA)
Sunday 1:10pm CST: TBD vs. RHP Shane Bieber (9-8, 2.96 ERA)
Postgame Interview
Coming soon.
Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet
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