The #MNTwins had to play a game at 1:10pm after celebrating for a couple hours after last night’s clinching of the American League Central Division Title.
So…that meant it was a mostly reserve lineup today:
Ian Miller – LF (Still looking for his 1st Major League Hit)
Luis Arraez – 2B
Willians Astudillo – 3B
Jake Cave – RF
Jonathan Schoop – DH
Jason Castro – C
Ryan LaMarre – CF
LaMonte Wade – 1B (1st game at 1st base in his career including the minors)
Ronald Torreyes – SS
LHP Devin Smeltzer got the start.
The Twins went down 1-2-3 in the top of the 1st and Smeltzer allowed a couple hits but also struck out 2 and got a flyout to end the 1st.
2ndTwins – 1-2-3 in the 2nd, tooTigers – Flyout, single, single, strikeout, lineout.
In the top of the 3rd, Ronald Torreyes singled then stole 2nd base, his 1st stolen base of the season, and that brought Ian Miller to the plate. He had yet to get a hit in the Majors. He’s a career .274/.340/.357 (Average/On-Base %/Slugging %) hitter so he’s capable with the bat in his hands. On a 2-2 low fastball, he hit a grounder up the middle for his #1stMLBHit and his 1st MLB RBI all on one swing. CONGRATS, Ian!!! Twins 1-0.
Brandon Dixon led off the bottom of the 3rd with a triple to…Ian Miller. Weird. Miguel Cabrera then hit an RBI-groundout to 2nd to tie the game.
Willians #LaTortuga Astudillo then singled to lead off the 4th inning then advanced to 2nd on a passed ball. Jake Cave grounded out to 2nd. La Turtle advanced to 3rd on the play. Jonathan Schoop than hit an RBI-single to score The Turtle from 3rd and the Twins led once again. 2-1.
In the bottom of the 4th, Travis DeMeritte hit a 1-out double (7) and was knocked in with a Will Castro single and the game was tied at 2! Victor Reyes then singled to put the Detroit Tigers up 3-2.
The 5th inning began with Torreyes reaching on a fielding error then Ian Miller singled again (this is easy!), advancing Torreyes to 3rd. Arraez hit into a fielder’s choice. Torreyes out at home. Miller to 3rd. Arraez to 2nd. Then Astudillo singled again to bring Miller in and advance Arraez to 3rd base. Jake Cave tripled (2) to bring in both Arraez & Astudillo. A wild pitch eventually brought Cave in. 6-3.
Smeltzer allowed a couple more hits but got out of the inning with no damage and was then replaced by RHP Ryne Harper to pitch the 6th inning. He got the 1st batter to fly out but then Will Castro tripled to right field and was knocked in by another Victor Reyes RBI-single. Reyes then stole 2nd (8) but Harper struck out the next 2 batters to end the inning. 6-4 Twins.
Astudillo singled again to lead off the 7th inning and scored again when Jonathan Schoop hit his 23rd HR of the season and it was also the Minnesota Twins 200th HR of the season! No Team has ever hit 300 HRs in a single season before! The Yankees are at 299, though, so it could happen again….tomorrow. Ryan LaMarre then scored from 1st on a Wade single and a Tigers throwing error. 9-4 Twins.
Astudillo added a solo HR (4) for his 4th hit & 4th run of the game in the 8th inning and RHPs Brusdar Graterol, Fernando Romero & Jorge Alcala pitched the last 3 innings (1 each) allowing just 1 hit & 1 walk (both Romero) and striking out 5 (Romero 3, 1 each for Graterol & Alcala) to end the game.
That’s Win #99 for the Twins but word is they’ll use the last 3 games to prepare for the postseason.
Berrios is the scheduled pitcher for tomorrow night’s first game in KC. Odorizzi is scheduled for Sunday’s regular-season finale.
