The Minnesota Twins sent RHP Jose Berrios to the mound after his 1-hit, scoreless start the last time out. He tried to keep that momentum going to help the Twins win the series in the Rubber Game tonight. Did he lower his 4.75 ERA (Earned Run Average) and 1.38 WHIP (Walks + Hits per Inning Pitched)?
The Cleveland Indians sent RHP Mike Clevinger to the mound to make his first start since being sent to their Alternate Training Site for breaking COVID-19 team protocols along with RHP Zach Plesac. He actually hasn’t made a start since August 5th.
Here’s how they line up:
Twins Lineup:
RF Max Kepler
SS Jorge Polanco
DH Nelson Cruz
LF Eddie Rosario
3B Marwin Gonzalez
2B Luis Arraez
1B Miguel Sano
CF LaMonte Wade, Jr.
C Alex Avila
Royals lineup:
2B Cesar Hernandez
3B Jose Ramirez
SS Francisco Lindor
1B Carlos Santana
DH Franmil Reyes
RF Tyler Naquin
LF Greg Allen
C Roberto Perez
CF Deline DeShields
The red-hot Chicago White Sox, who are 9-1 in their last 10 games, are now just 1 game behind the Twins for the lead in the American League Central with a record of 19-12. Cleveland is just a half-game back at 18-12 before tonight’s game so this is a pretty big game & I guess we have to say we’re in the stretch run since we’re down to 29 games remaining in this short 60-game season.
The Twins scored 4 runs on 6 hits (including 2 HRs) in 4 innings on July 31st in their last matchup against Clevinger. He also walked 5 batters while striking out 5 as well.
Max Kepler led off the game by hitting an 0-2 pitch right down the middle out to right center field to put the Twins up 1-0 in the 1st. Polanco walked but Nelson Cruz grounded into a 5-4-3 double play. Rosario & Marwin singled but on Marwin’s single, Rosario jogged into 2nd then tried to get to 3rd when the right fielder lobbed a soft throw into 2nd but he was thrown out at 3rd to end the inning! 1-0 Twins
Twins starter RHP Jose Berrios walked leadoff hitter Cesar Hernandez on 4 pitches then got Ramirez to pop out to short. He then picked off Hernandez at 1st base for the 2nd out, walked Carlos Santana. Franmil Reyes then sent a fly ball to the wall in right field but Max Kepler leaped and caught the ball right before it hit the wall. Max gave the Twins a 1-0 lead then protected that 1-0 lead. Nice inning, Max!
In the top of the 2nd, Luis Arraez lined out to left to lead off the inning then Miguel Sano hit his 11th double of the season to left center field. Sano’s double was his 17th XBH over 23 hits in 28 games and 11 of those 17 (9 doubles, 2 HRs) have come in the last 10 games. LaMonte Wade, Jr hit a broken-bat single to score Sano from 2nd and double the Twins lead. Alex Avila then struck out swinging for the 2nd out and while Max Kepler was at the plate, Wade was picked off at 1st base to end the top of the 2nd. 2-0 Twins
During Kepler’s at-bat, he was hit on the top of the foot and it was bad enough for him to have to come out of the game so Jake Cave came into the game to replace him and play center field which then moved Wade from center field to right field. Berrios then set Cleveland down 1-2-3 on 3 fly ball outs to right field and center field (2).
Cave then led off the top of the 3rd reached on a fielding error by Jose Ramirez on a hard liner that he looked to have but it came out of his glove. Polanco grounded into a force out back to the pitcher. Cave out at 2nd. Cruz struck out swinging and Rosie flew out to left center field to 3nd the top of the 3rd.
Berrios started the 3rd with 30 pitches thrown and 17 strikes. DeShields led off the inning with a single past the shortstop into left field. He then stole 2nd even though he was called out and Cleveland had to challenge the call. Hernandez walked and then Jose Ramirez hit his 6th HR of the season just fair & just out down the right field line. Berrios then sat the next 3 batters down on 2 groundouts and a strikeout. 3-2 Cleveland
In the 4th, the Twins got a 1-out single from Luis Arraez in the 4th but did nothing with it. Berrios then allowed a leadoff single but struck out the side swinging on a different pitch on each one of them (curveball, changeup & fastball.).
In the 5th, same thing as the 4th but Cave instead of Arraez. Berrios allowed a 2-out double to Lindor and threw a wild pitch but got Santana to strike out swinging to end the 5th. Still 3-2 Cleveland
In the 6th, it was a 2-out single from Arraez that was followed by nothing. Berrios began the 6th and allowed a leadoff single but induced a 4-6-3 double play to empty the bases. Greg Allen hit a double & Perez walked so Rocco Baldelli brought in RHP Tyler Clippard, who took a comebacker off the right elbow on Sunday but ended up getting the Win, took over and struck out Delino DeShields to end the 6th.
In the top of the 7th, Twins UTIL Ehire Adrianza pinch-hit (PH) for LaMonte Wade, Jr and doubled (2) on the 1st pitch he saw off the left center field wall. He advanced to 3rd on an Alex Avila flyout to right field then scored to tie the game on a Jake Cave bloop RBI-single. Cleveland made a pitching change to RHP Phil Maton and he got Polanco to line into a 5-4-3 double play to end the top of the 7th. 3-3 Tie
Adrianza stayed in the game, playing 3B so Marwin Gonzalez moved to RF to take over for Wade. RHP Tyler Duffey took over for Clippard and he set down the top of the Cleveland order with a Hernandez popout to 3rd (on a great catch running back on the ball by Adrianza), a swinging strikeout of Jose Ramirez and a strikeout of Francisco Lindor on a foul tip.
The Twins went down 1-2-3 on a Cruz flyout to left field, a Eddie Rosario swinging strikeout on 3 pitches and a Marwin Gonzalez flyout to right field. Opponent’s Enemy #1, RHP Sergio Romo came in to pitch the 8th for the Twins and he gave up a leadoff single to Carlos Santana then walked Franmil Reyes to put 2 on in a big spot. Rocco came out for a Mound Visit to likely talk about the chance for a bunt from Naquin but he doubled (5) on a line drive down the left field line to scores Santana and advance Reyes to 3rd. Greg Allen then hit a sacrifice fly to score Reyes from 3rd and Rocco made a Pitching Change to LHP Danny Coulombe. He got DeShields to flyout for the 2nd out but he gave up an RBI-single to Cesar Hernandez and a Jose Ramirez walk before getting Lindor to strikeout to end the 8th but…DAMAGE DONE! 6-3 Cleveland
Cleveland closer LHP Brad Hand came in and set the Twins down in order to end the game. Arraez flew out to deep left center field. Sano popped out to short & Adrianza lined out to center.
The Good: Jose Berrios seemed to get some confidence back after giving up the 3-Run HR that changed the game from 2-0 Twins to 3-2 Cleveland. After that hit, he went 3.2 innings allowing no runs on just 3 hits & 2 walks while striking out 6. We’ll see what this means for his next start. He also had to be taken out with 2 outs in the 6th.
The Bad: The bullpen lost the game for the 2nd consecutive game. Sergio Romo didn’t have it tonight but that’s going to happen to every reliever.
The Ugly: Max Kepler was injured and had to leave the game after fouling a ball off the top of his foot in the top of the 2nd. Another injury. UGHH-ly! We’ll see how big of a deal this is by tomorrow.
The Twins will now head to Detroit for the 1st of 10 games in the last 28 games, starting with a 4-game series in Detroit before they come to MN next week for 4.
The Twins will send RHP Randy Dobnak (5-1, 1.78 ERA, 1.02 WHIP) to the mound against the Detroit Tigers LHP Matthew Boyd (0-4, 8.78 ERA, 1.74 WHIP) at 6:10pm on Fox Sports North.
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