In the battle of Two Struggling Teams with Two Rookie Starters, it seemed like the Sox had the edge with Fenway mystique intimidating Connor Prielipp… until the Twins got to a Red Sox bullpen that had been pretty good so far this year. Inning-by-inning notes:
1: I mentioned that rookie Payton Tolle was a pretty highly-valued prospect. He strikes out two Twins here. His MLB career-high (in seven starts) is eight strikeouts. Chances of him surpassing that tonight? About 50%. Chances of him doubling
it? At least 10%.
Walks will haunt. Leadoff one to Jarren Duran; he scores easily on a Wilyer Abreu double. Then Wilson Contreras triples off the Monster. I suspect the Battle of the Young Pitchers is not gonna go our way here. Andruw Monasterio singles. There’s a Sack Fli. Another one of these games that is testing my resolution to try drinking less. By the time the #8 guy flies out it’s Red Sox 4-0
2: Josh Bell single and “first ever MLB plate appearance” Gabriel Gonzalez walk. Ryan Kreidler knocks him in, and Kody Klobberin’ Klemens hit it to Tolle, who bobbles the ball, everyone safe. Bases loaded, no out NOBLETIGER time? At least one scores! Luke Keaschall singles! Buxton knocks one off the glove of 3B Caleb Durbin! A Lee strikeout and Martin popout kill the rally, but that’s still better than the Twins usually do with the bases loaded lately.
Tolle has four Ks but I think we can definitely say he won’t hit 16 tonight.
Durbin cracks the first pitch pretty hard but Keaschall makes a nice dive to grab it. Then the next two guys FINALLY stop hitting Prielipp like he’s throwing tennis balls underhand. Bawston 4-1
3: Ha — Gonzalez has a career OPS of 1.000 but no PAs yet; he takes another walk and is left there. These pitchers are confusing me. You’re supposed to do it like Brad Radke and suck in a designated inning every time, not be good/bad at random.
Abreu (nor relation to any other Abreus) with a leadoff single. Neither is Jarren Duran related to Jhoan Duran or Caleb Durbin related to J.D. “The Real Deal” Durbin. Wilson Contreras (who IS Brewer William Contreras’s brother) provides the GIDP. Monasterio takes a walk, tries to steal, and he’s gunned down by the Lou Gehrig to Ryan Jeffers’s Wally Pipp, Alex Jackson.
4: Three strikeouts for Tolle! Are you hoping for him to get a personal best with nine? I AM!
Another leadoff baserunner for Boston; Nick Sogard with a single. Given that the Twins have had pretty strict pitch limits on Prielipp so far in his career we’re gonna have a bunch of relief innings, be still my happy heart. A hit-and run single puts runners on 1st and 3rd with one out. Durbin tries to sac bunt himself, and Prielipp generously throws it to Harvard instead of first. Duran grounds to first and a run scores. This could have been worse but it’s still a disappointing Prielipp outing, Chow-dah 6-4
5: Well, Tolle has eight! Only one more, brother! Can a honky call another honky “brother”? OK, only one more, pal, buddy. Or, to say it the Boston way, only one more ya fuquin guy ya.
Travis Adams pitching, hopefully he can go a few. Of course not that it really matters; there aren’t any “good” arms in the pen to save. He does fine.
6: My main man with a career-high nine! I feel like this season has been fun, now.
7: Now that Tolle has accomplished a Career Goal, the BoSox bring in another pitcher who will keep the Twins from doing anything. Who is he? I don’t care. We’ll call him Pedro Martinez just for fun. Keaschall gets a single and the Sox fans are doing the Wave because even in classic stadiums fans act like stoopid ijits and do the Wave.
Oops I was wrong! This guy is NOT Pedro Martinez. Because this guy (he is named Justin Slaten) gave up a LONG DONG to Byron!
A Brooks Lee walk and Austin Martin homer! In nine outings this season Slaten hadn’t given up a run yet, and THIS is the team he has his first meltdown to? I’ll take it.
Gonzalez gets his first MLB hit! Kriedler gets another but the Twins can’t pad their lead. Time for the Best Bullpen in Baseball (if baseball only has one team and the Twins are it) to work their Tragic Magic.
The mighty arm of Yoendrys Gómez is in. Well, he gets three outs! We’ll call him Dennis Eckersley Jr. Twins 7-6
8: Greg Weissert got the last out last inning and is still in there. Luke Keaschall gets on the Homer Simpson way then gets off the “thrown out at second by ten feet trying to steal” way.
Eric Oozy Orze pitching for Us. It goes well until a two-out error by Keaschall, followed by a four-pitch walk to Carlos Narváez (of a .632 OPS).
The Bo Sox bring in former Twin Mickey “Steamboat Willie is public domain” Gasper, and the Twins counter with Anthony “Badda” Banda. A two-pitch popup! Mickey still loves us and can’t bring himself to hurt us.
9: Tyler Samaniego pitching. Brooks Lee gets on via error, Austin Martin via bunt for base hit, and then a plunked “defensive” replacement James Outman! Tyler Samaniego no longer pitching.
Tyron Guerrero now pitching; up until basically he today, radio tells us, he was “Tayron,” but some typo in his official documents was discovered. I wish that would happen to me and I wouldn’t be named after a crappy President anymore.
Trevor Larnach in for PH for Gonzalez; he walks. Kreidler strikes out, Clemens pops out, Keaschall grounds out. You’d have really liked more there! Still, a two-run lead is better than I thought this game was gonna go.
Not an auspicious beginning for Banda’s save attempt. He strikes out Duran but the pitch is so wild Duran reaches first anyway.
Ceddanne Rafaela smacks one severely and Outman runs it down. Then…
Game over! Abreu cracks one 100+ MPH, but it’s in the perfect spot for a GIDP. Twims wim! (Yes we spell it wrong on purpose on this site sometimes.)
Studs: Buxton bomb, Martin bomb and nice catch, Gabriel Gonzalez for great OBP and first MLB hit, Ryan Kreidler for having a 1.061 OPS (it’s TOTALLY sustainable), and, I guess, grr, the bullpen.
Duds: AI
COTG go to Minnesota1952 for “insurance runs please,” Prester John for Mickey Gasper amazement, Zach and Nagurski for bird-loving the same Oriole, gintzer and sandwiches for observations on Technology, and MM for “‘are you the type of person who sings “Isiah Kiner-Falefa” to the tune “For he’s a jolly good fellow” or to the tune “If you like piña coladas’”
Thanks to everyone who joined in! We need more chilly/drizzly nights to get more gamethreads like this!
Tomorrow’s game is at 3:10 Central, with TBD vs. TBD pitching, but there’s a chance it might be Taj Bradley. Catch y’all next time!
