The #MNTwins are struggling to get their game going against their division foes lately. Is it because they slumping or because their opponents see the first-place Minnesota Twins and want to play spoiler and bring their best game to them? It’s probably a little of both.
The Twins are struggling with their pitching & their defense. Kyle Gibson took the mound last night to try to remedy the pitching part of their struggles as he opposed Detroit Tigers RHP Edwin Jackson in Game 2 of this 3-game series.
Gibby gave up a leadoff single then got a strikeout and double-play in the 1st inning then Max Kepler led off the bottom of the 1st with his 35th HR of the season and his 6th leadoff HR. 1-0 Twins.
In the 2nd, it was 2 singles with a strikeout in between them then a double play then in the 3rd, Dawel Lugo homered to left-center field to tie the game and he golfed it out as it was a good pitch that he just made good contact on. A hit by pitch was followed by a fielding error from Luis Arraez, another single, a strikeout and a Ronny Rodriguez sacrifice fly to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead.
The 4th went single, strikeout, single strikeout, 2-run single (Victor Reyes) and a groundout. 4-1 Tigers.
The 5th inning began with a leadoff double from Miguel Cabrera but he wouldn’t get further than 3rd base as Gibby got a groundout, struck out his 7th Tiger of the day then he threw a wild pitch but got a groundout to end the inning with no damage.
The Twins finally responded to being down 4-1 with a leadoff double by Jake Cave (8) then got a 1-out (Cron struck out) RBI-double (29) from Max Kepler. 4-2. Back-to-back singles from Jorge Polanco & Nelson Cruz scored Kepler to make it a 1-run game and Luis Arraez hit a line drive to center field that was so close to being a triple but it was caught by Tigers CF Harold Castro but….up to the plate came Miguel Sano and the Twins were looking for a weather change to get this game going their way and Miguel didn’t wait to make it happen. On the first pitch, Edwin Jackson hung a slider and it was Sano-ing at Target Field as Miguel’s 26th HR of the season changed a 4-3 deficit to a 6-4 lead with One Swing of the Bat!
BOOMBA!!!
Tigers SS Willi Castro* doubled to lead off the top of the 6th. Gibby struck out Lugo and was then removed from the game to be replaced by RHP Sam Dyson. He got a popout for the 2nd out then Victor Reyes hit an RBI-single to make it a 1-run ballgame. Dyson struck out Harold Castro* to end the inning.
*The Tigers had 2 Castros in their lineup. The Twins had 1 on their bench. Three Castros at a Ballgame. Hey, that could be the beginning of a joke…Three Castros go to a ballgame…
Mitch Garver led off the bottom of the 6th with a single and Jake Cave, who’s been swinging a hot bat, hit his 5th HR of the season to center field and it was no longer a 1-run game. BOOM!!! 8-5 Twins!
Dyson pitched the 7th and worked around a leadoff walk by going popout, flyout, groundout. RHP Sergio Romo came in to pitch the 8th but allowed a single and a walk before getting the 1st out on a strikeout of Jake Rogers and Rocco decided it was time for Mr. Rogers or, as it says on the back of his jersey for Players Weekend, Lefty Piece to come into the game.
Rogers got a popout then a groundout to end the 8th then struck out the side in the 9th for his 20th save of the season.
The Indians beat the Royals 4-2 so the American League Central lead is still at 2.5 games. The Indians lost 3B Jose Ramirez to a fractured hamate bone that will likely end his season. That’s too bad. He was back to MVP form and was helping the Indians in a big playoff push. Will they be able to keep it up?
It will be LHP Martin Perez on the mound today at 12:10pm on Fox Sports North pitching against Tigers LHP Matthew Boyd.
Hey, how ‘bout we start a winning streak, boys?
