The #MNTwins got more bad news on the injury front today, although, this was probably not that much of a surprise. CF Byron Buxton will miss the remainder of the season due to shoulder surgery that he was scheduled to have this afternoon. The surgery on his labrum has a recovery time of 5 to 6 months. That puts him close to ready for Spring Training but, obviously, he won’t be able to have a normal offseason and likely will be limited in what he can do to work out so he may have a late start to the 2020 MLB Season.
That means there is a Twinsaction to report:
Buxton was placed on the 60-Day Injured List (IL) opening a 40-man roster spot. The Minnesota Twins selected the contract of IF Ronald Torreyes from the Rochester Red Wings.
They also activated RHP Kyle Gibson from the 10-Day IL and he’s scheduled to start on Thursday.
Does this mean Gibson is actually healthy? Or will he have to deal with the after-effects from the e. coli poisoning (Ulcerative Colitis) until the offseason? You can easily argue that they need Gibby right now with the suspension to Michael Pineda but they are still a missing piece in the rotation.
Will they go with a combination of Randy Dobnak, Devin Smeltzer & Lewis Thorpe like they did on Sunday? Or do they just have Lewis Thorpe, Devin Smeltzer or Kohl Stewart start a game?
For any Kohl Stewart doubters, he had his best month of the season in August:
In his last 4 starts, in 19.0 IP, he’s allowed 7 Hits, 4 Runs & 8 Walks while striking out 18 for an ERA of 1.89 & a WHIP of 0.79. His first start in August was also pretty good:
5.2 IP 6 H 2 R/ER 2 BB 2 K 1 Win for Rochester.
Okay. On to tonight’s game. The Twins had RHP Jose Berrios pitching tonight so, it’s another start to see where Jose is at. He’s pitched okay in his last couple of starts, at least from a stuff standpoint. He beat the White Sox 2 starts ago and had one bad inning against the Red Sox so it will be interesting to see how he does tonight. You know he wants to help his team get out of this home funk they are in.
Berrios took a step, a big step, in the right direction tonight. He set down the first 13 batters then allowed a single to Howie Kendrick, threw a pickoff attempt past The Turtle (#La Tortuga Willians Astudillo) then got a line out and a ground out to end the inning with no damage done.
He allowed a 2-out single in the top of the 6th then got another groundout to end that inning.
But…Washington Nationals pitcher Anibal Sanchez was pitching almost as well, allowing just 3 baserunners in the first 6 innings.
Berrios then walked Anthony Rendon to lead off the top of the 7th then got a 4-3 double play (tag out, throw out at 1st) to take that runner away and got Kendrick to line out to end the 7th. He was at 94 pitches & 63 strikes at the end of that inning so it was up in the air if he’d come out for the 8th.
The Twins offense could definitely change that if they scored and they had Eddie! Eddie! Eddie Rosario, Mitch Garver and Ehire Adrianza coming to the plate.
Eddie led off the inning with his 21st double of the season to right-center field and up came Mitch Garver looking to deliver some #GarvSauce and deliver he did. He hit his 30th HR of the season! We’ve never said that about a Minnesota Twins catcher before! This was a no-doubter like most of Garver’s seem to be and it put the Twins up 2-0!
RHP Sergio Romo came in the pitch the 8th for the Twins and he set the Nats down 1-2-3 (lineout, popout, strikeout).
Mr. Rogers was warming in the ‘pen with the Twins at the plate in the bottom of the 8th but the Twins would love to not have to use him…
Schoop was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Luis Arraez singled to left field then a Wild Pitch advanced both runners up a base. (It was #MNWild night so this seems fitting.) 2B Jorge Polanco hit a 96mph outside fastball down the left field line for his 35th double of the season & his 71st & 72nd RBIs of the season. Cruz struck out and Eddie Rosario was intentionally walked to bring up Mitch Garver. He walked to load the bases. Ehire Adrianza then hit a sacrifice fly to put the Twins up 5-0.
That 5th run got Taylor Rogers the night off. RHP Trevor May came in to pitch the 9th. He got a line out, a fly out and he struck out Adam Eaton on a check swing to end the game because….Trevor May Strike You OUT!!!
That’s a nice Twins Win. It temporarily puts them up 5.5 games in the division. Cleveland is in Los Angeles so they have a late start. They are currently up 2-0 in the top of the 3rd.
So…as of right now, the Twins number to clinch the division is 13. That’s 13 Twins Wins or Cleveland Losses to clinch the American League Central Division and clinch a spot in the 2019 @MLB Postseason.
Same teams, same time tomorrow night, 6:40pm on Fox Sports North. The Twins will send LHP Martin Perez (10-6, 4.75 ERA, 1.46 WHIP) to the mound against maybe the best pitcher in the National League, RHP Stephen Strasburg (16-6, 3.60 ERA, 1.05 WHIP so it should be a good game. He has 222 strikeouts in 185 innings this season.
