The Minnesota Twins had 2 days off after the rainout in Detroit on Sunday and having yesterday off so they should be good and rested for this division battle against the American League Central Division-leading Chicago White Sox who lead by 1 game but are 7 games ahead of the Minnesota Twins.
The Twins got UTIL Luis Arraez back today as he was activated from the 7-Day Injured List (IL). To make room for Arraez, INF Nick Gordon was optioned to Triple-A St. Paul, who have their Home Opener tonight for the 1st time as the Twins top minor-league affiliate.
It’s also Miguel Sanó’s birthday today but he’s not in the lineup as the Twins will give him an extra day off.
Here’s how they lined up for Game 1 with Kenta Maeda on the Ma-ound-a:
Minnesota Twins Lineup:
Chicago White Sox Lineup:
Recap
Frankly, the Minnesota Twins really need to turn their season around starting with this game. They beat the Kansas City Royals 2-out-of-3 games when they were leading the American League Central Division in a home series 10 days ago and it just feels like they need something similar to get something going this season. Facing a division foe when they’re leading the division should get their competitiveness going, that’s for sure. We’ll see if that means anything.
The Twins went down 1-2-3 (strikeout, popout & strikeout). The White Sox got a 1-out single but Yoan Moncada lined into a 5-3 double play when a shifted Andrelton Simmons caught the liner & threw out Adam Eaton at 1st.
In the 2nd, Jorge Polanco hit a 1-out solo HR (3) to right field to put the Twins up 1-0. Trevor Larnach walked after a popup to 3rd was dropped when Yoan Moncada backed away like he heard someone say they got it. Willians Astudillo & Andrelton Simmons singled to bring up Ben Rortvedt and he was hit by a pitch to score another run. That brought up Luis Arraez and he hit a sacrifice fly to score Astudillo and he scored just before Simmons was tagged out trying to advance to 3rd to end the inning.* 3-0 Twins!
Jose Abreu led off the bottom of the 2nd with a single followed by a Yermin Mercedes walk and Yasmani Grandal HR’d (3) to tie the game at 3 just that quickly. The next batter, Andrew Vaughn, then walked on 4 pitches and Leury Garcia grounded out to 2nd but Jorge Polanco muffed it but still got the out at 1st but not the lead runner. Nick Madrigal flew out to center for the 2nd out then Tim Anderson singled to left field but Luis Arraez charged & fielded the ball and came up throwing home and he threw out Andrew Vaughn at home to end the inning with the game still tied. 3-3
The Twins offense had something going in the top of the 6th after a 1-out double (3) from Willians Astudillo and then a single from Andrelton Simmons that Astudillo was only able to advance to 3rd on. Chicago White Sox manager Tony LaRussa pulled starter RHP Dylan Cease in favor of LHP Garrett Crochet so Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli countered by pinch-hitting for Ben Rortvedt with Mitch Garver for the good matchup but Garver flew out to right field & Luis Arraez then struck out looking to end the threat.**
Minnesota Twins RHP Kenta Maeda had set down 9 straight White Sox in the 3rd, 4th & 5th innings before being replaced by RHP Jorge Alcala in the 6th & Alcala got a groundout from Adam Eaton but walked Yoan Moncada on 5 pitches then left a slider up and Jose Abreu put it in the seats to break the tie game. 5-3 Chicago
The Twins then had something going again in the top of the 7th on a Nelson Cruz 1-out single, a Jorge Polanco 2-out single and LaRussa went LHP Aaron Bummer so Kyle Garlick pinch-hit for Trevor Larnach and he reached on a fielding error to load the bases but Willians Astudillo grounded out to short on the very 1st pitch he saw to end the threat.***
LHP Caleb Thielbar took over on the mound for the Minnesota Twins and walked the 1st batter, Andrew Vaughn, who was then pinch-run for with Billy Hamilton. Leury Garcia then sacrifice-bunted Hamilton over to 2nd and Hamilton then stole 3rd on the 1st pitch to Nick Madrigal. The Twins challenged the steal as it was a close play but the call remained safe. Madrigal then flew out to short right field but Tim Anderson got a bloop single to left field to score Hamilton. Adam Eaton then hit a bloop double (5) to right field to score Anderson from 1st and Eaton ended up advancing to 3rd when Jorge Polanco couldn’t retrieve the dropped ball cleanly. Thielbar got Yoan Moncada to strike out swinging to end the 7th but the damage was done as this strange Twins season continued. 7-3 Chicago
In the bottom of the 8th, Jose Abreu was hit by a pitch as LHP Caleb Thielbar started his 2nd inning. Yermin Mercedes followed with a single then Thielbar struck out Yasmani Grandal looking and RHP Derek Law was brought in to relieve Thielbar and he got Leury Garcia to ground into a force out on a nice defensive play by Jorge Polanco to get the out at 2nd. Unfortunately, Leury Garcia & Nick Madrigal both hit RBI-singles to extend the lead by 2 more runs before Law got Tim Anderson to fly out to right center field. 9-3 Chicago
The Twins had nothing in the 9th so they fell 9-3 in Game 1 and also fell 8 games back of 1st place in Game 33.
Final Score
Minnesota Twins 3, Chicago White Sox 9
L-Alcala (0-1) W-Crochet (1-2)
Game Notes
*That’s just a bad play to be thrown out as the 3rd out in that situation. Who knows what could’ve happened with Josh Donaldson coming to the plate, there? We’ll never know because of that play from Simmons. This is finding a way to lose a game.
**Even when the Twins can get a good matchup, it doesn’t seem to matter. This seemed like a questionable move by Tony LaRussa. Why bring in a left-handed pitcher so the other team can pinch-hit with a guy who hits lefties well? He has actually been pretty good against hitters on either side over his short career, so far.
***Willians Astudillo is a good baseball player but he’s also a guy who will get out on one pitch very often. Is that a bad thing? Well, his stats say no but man, it seems like a bases-loaded situation is the time to see a couple of pitches.
****This is the strangest season any of us have ever seen. This 2021 Minnesota Twins team has the talent to have the opposite record of what they currently have at 12-21* so we still think they can get out of this just terrible run they’re on. It starts tomorrow night with LHP J.A. Happ on the mound!
*The opposite record is also 21-12 which is one of the greatest Rush albums of all time!
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