The #MNTwins sent RHP Jake Odorizzi to the mound for Game 1 in Detroit against the Detroit Tigers.
The Minnesota Twins got a couple of singles from Luis Arraez & Nelson Cruz in the first inning but nothing came from them so Jake Odorizzi took the mound for the bottom of the first. He struck out the leadoff hitter but then allowed a double (9) to Dawel Lugo then a single to Harold Castro, advancing Lugo to 3rd base. Jeimer Candelario then hit a sacrifice fly to right field and the Tigers went up 1-0 early.
Willians Astudillo was the only baserunner for either team in the 2nd & 3rd innings when he walked in the top of the 2nd inning. They got a walk (Rosario) & a couple of 2-out singles but a lineout ended the threat.
It was a strange game as both teams had just 9 baserunners in the 1st 6 innings, Detroit with the 2 hits in the 1st & a walk in the 4th and the Twins with a couple of hits in the 1st & a couple more in the 4th and walks in the 2nd & 4th innings.
The top of the 7th began with a Jake Cave single and LaMonte Wade followed that with a double (2) then there was a Mound Visit & a Pitching Change before La Tortuga stepped to the plate and he ended up hitting a 2-run single to put the Twins in the lead at 2-1. Jason Castro was hit by a pitch that prompted Detroit Manager Ron Gardenhire to make another pitching change.
Luis Arraez grounded back to the pitcher for the first out but Cave & Wade advanced to 3rd & 2nd base. Jorge Polanco then lined out for the 2nd out and Nelson Cruz was intentionally walked to load the bases for EDDIE EDDIE EDDIE Rosario and he came through with a 2-run double (28) to put the Twins up 4-1.
Jake…from the Mound…was pitching great setting down 17 of 18 Tigers through the 6th inning but while warming up, the Twins staff noticed something and came out to talk to Odo and they ended up removing him from the game due to injured groin & they brought in RHP Kyle Gibson for his 3rd relief appearance of the season and of his career. He went strikeout swinging, single, strikeout swinging, single and strikeout swinging through the 7th.
Gibby came back out to pitch the 8th and allowed a leadoff double on a weakly hit ball to left field. He got Victor Reyes to lineout but then Dawel Lugo hit an RBI-double (10) to score the Tigers 2nd run. A mound visit may have settled Gibby down because he got the next two batters out on a groundout and another swinging strikeout.
The Twins couldn’t add anything in the top of the 9th so LHP Taylor “Mister” Rogers was summoned form the bullpen, looking to earn his 29th Save of the season. He got Christin Stewart to fly out to right and Brandon Dixon to groundout to short and then he struck out Travis Demeritte on a nasty slider to end the game.
Cleveland destroyed the White Sox by a score of 11-0. Indians 3B Jose Ramirez was activated off the IL and he hit a Grand Slam in his first at-bat then he hit another HR in his 2nd at-bat, a 3-run shot, finishing with 7 RBIs on the night! GEEZ!!!
Another Twins victory lowers the Magic Number to 2!!!
The Twins can clinch the Division and punch their ticket to the playoffs tomorrow night with a win and a Cleveland loss.
Twins Manager Rocco Baldelli announced RHP Randy Dobnak will start tomorrow’s game against Detroit LHP Daniel Norris at 5:40pm on Fox Sports North.
