The Minnesota Twins used RHP Matt Wisler (0-1, 1.50 ERA) as an “opener” with the Twins trying to win the rubber game of the series and even the season series at 7 apiece in this final game between the two teams in the 2020 regular season.
Kansas City Roayls LHP Kris Bubic (0-3, 5.12 ERA) will make his 6th start of the season & also his 3rd consecutive start against the Twins.
Here’s how they lined up:
Twins Lineup:
SS Jorge Polanco
RF Max Kepler
DH Nelson Cruz
1B Miguel Sano
LF Eddie Rosario
3B Marwin Gonzalez
2B Ildemaro Vargas
CF Jake Cave
C Alex Avila
Royals lineup:
RF Whit Merrifield
2B Nicky Lopez
1B Hunter Dozier
DH Jorge Soler
3B Maikel Franco
LF Alex Gordon
SS Alberto Mondesi
CF Bubba Starling
C Meibrys Viloria
The Twins jumped out in front in the 1st inning again today. Max Kepler was walked with 1 out and Miguel Sano knocked him in with a 2-out double to left center field, his 9th double of the season and his 7th in his last 7 games. Eddie Rosario then hit and RBI-single to score Sano before Marwin lined out to left field to end the top of the 1st. 1-0 Twins
RHP Matt Wisler allowed a leadoff single to Whit Merrifield before getting Lopez to pop out to 2nd for the 1st out. Merrifield then stole 2nd base and Wisler walked Hunter Dozier but got Jorge Soler to fly out to center field and Maikel Franco to strike out looking to end the 1st.
The Twins got back-to-back 1-out singles from Jake Cave & Ryan Jeffers but Polanco lined out & Kepler grounded out to end the threat in the top of the 2nd. The Royals were then set down 1-2-3 on a popout, a flyout and swinging strike to end Wisler’s outing. Wisle while you work, Matt.
4 consecutive Twins hits that culminated with 2 runs on a Marwin Gonzalez double down the left field line double the Twins lead to 4-0. LHP Devin Smeltzer then took the ball for the Twins for the 3rd inning and he hit the 1st batter he faced then got Merrifield to line out and Lopez to pop out but gave up back-to-back RBI-doubles to Dozier & Soler before getting Franco to strike out looking to end the 3rd inning. 4-2 Twins
A 4th-inning leadoff double from Polanco & a 1-out intentional walk to Nelson Cruz ends with Miguel Sano grounding into an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play. Smeltzer pitched the 4th and Alberto Mondesi reached on an 1-out error when a popup behind 1st was “caught” by Ildemaro Vargas but he bumped into Sano and the ball fell to the ground turning it from a catch to an error.
Here’s the catch rule if you didn’t know it:
I can understand this rule before replay but to me, if you watch the play, you clearly see Vargas caught the ball. He turns his glove over with the ball in it then bumps into Sano and the ball falls out. Should Major League Baseball amend this rule especially since they have replay now?
Smeltzer got Bubba Starling to ground out for the 2nd out then gave up a single to Viloria so Wes Johnson made a Mound Visit and that helped Devin Smeltzer got Merrifield to ground into a fielder’s choice to end the inning.
The Twins got back-to-back singles to leadoff the 5th but Vargas grounded into a 6-4-3 double play and Cave struck out swinging to leave them on base. RHP Trevor May took over for the Twins on the mound for the 5th. He struck out Lopez swinging, allowed a Dozier single to left field then got a popout, walked Franco but got Gordon to ground out to short to end the 5th.
Twins RHP Sean Poppen came into the game to begin the 6th and he went 1-2-3 on 10 pitches so he was asked to keep pitching in the 7th after the Twins left 2 more baserunners on in the top of the 7th. Poppen got Merrifield to line out to right field then struck out Lopez looking but gave up a line-drive single to right field to Dozier so Rocco went to RHP Sergio Romo to get the Twins out of the 7th. He began by walking Soler then gave up an RBI-single to Franco that deflected off the top of Marwin Gonzalez’ glove. Franco stole 2nd base and Andrew Gordon walked to bring up Alberto Mondesi and he struck out swinging on 3 straight low sliders to end the 7th inning. 4-3 Twins
The Twins went down 1-2-3 in the top of the 8th and Twins RHP Tyler Clippard was brought in to pitch the 8th. He had to face 2 pinch-hitters, Brett Phillips, who struck out looking, and Ryan McBroom, who struck out swinging. He then got Whit Merrifield to line out on a comebacker that deflected off Clippard’s right elbow over towards 1st where 1B Miguel Sano picked it up and tagged Merrifield to end the 8th. Clippard walked off in considerable pain.
Royals RHP Trevor Rosenthal entered the game to pitch the 9th and he struck out Kepler looking to lead off the top of the 9th. That brought up DH Nelson Cruz and he hit a 1-2 99.7mph fastball on the outer middle of the zone deep to center field for his 10th HR of the season and it gave the Twins their 2-run lead back.
Sano then hit his 2nd double of the game (10th of the season) and Marwin earned a 2-out walk but they were both left on base. 5-3 Twins
LHP Taylor Rogers was brought in to close out the game and Ehire Adrianza came in to replace Sano and to play 3B so Marwin moved from 3B to 1B. Rogers got Lopez to strike out swinging for the 1st out but then gave up a double to Hunter Dozier, his 2nd of the game and the season, to bring the tying run to the plate. Soler grounded out to 3rd for the 2nd out then Maikel Franco hit an RBI-single to cut their 2-run deficit in half. Another Mound Visit from Wes Johnson may have helped Rogers get Andrew Gordon to fly out to left field to end the game.
Stats below:
#MNTwins 5, #AlwaysRoyal 4 | F
W-Clippard(1-0) L-Bubic(0-4) S-Rogers(6)
H-May(5) Poppen(1) Romo(7)
HR:
MN:Cruz(10)
2B:
MN:Sano 2(9,10) Marwin(2) Polanco(3) KC:Dozier 2(1,2) Soler(6)
Wisler: 2IP 1H 0R/ER 1BB 2K
Smeltzer: 2IP 3H 2R/ER 0BB 1K
#MNBP 4IP 5H 1R/ER 3BB 7K
May:1IP 1H 0R/ER 1BB 1K
Poppen:1.2IP 1H 1R/ER 0BB 2K
Romo:0.1IP 1H 0R/ER 2BB 1K
Clippard:1IP 0H 0R/ER 0BB 2K-comebacker off right elbow: injury TBD
Rogers:1IP 2H 1R/ER 0BB 1K
Cruz:2-3-HR(10) 2BB 2R RBI
Sano:3-4-2 2B(9,10) BB 2R RBI
Rosie:3-5-RBI
Marwin:2H 2B(2) 2RBI BB
Polanco:2B(3)
Kepler:BB, R
Cave/Jeffers:H
The #MNTwins will now fly to CLE for a 3-game series that starts tomorrow:
8/24:
RHP Maeda(3-0,2.27 ERA,0.63 WHIP)
vs
RHP Civale(3-2,2.91 ERA,0.97 WHIP)
at 6:10pm on Fox Sports North & MLB Network!
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