In the game thread intro today, I relayed the story of Randy Poffo the baseball prospect turning into Randy “Macho Man” Savage the iconic professional wrestler. In a game this afternoon that the Minnesota Twins absolutely needed to have in the win column, they indeed proved to be “Cream of the Crop!” over the Unattributed Athletics.
In an immediate reversal of recent trends, the Twins got off to a rousing start in this one. After a nice 1-2-3 first inning from SP Connor Prielipp (filling in for an ailing
Joe Ryan), Austin Martin doubled to lead off B1 and was brought home on a Royce Lewis fielder’s choice. After Royce swiped the second bag, Kody Clemens shot a ball into the RCF gap and barreled for third base. Not only did he make it, but the throw got away from A’s third baseman Tommy White (the error was charged to SS Alika Williams) and went out of play, allowing Kody to trot home with the Little League homer! 3-0 MN.
A wild sequence kept the runs coming in B2: with the bases loaded (Alex Jackson single, Brooks Lee walk, Martin walk), Byron Buxton rocketed a ball to SS—which was caught and Lee doubled off 2B. Well, until MN manager Derek Shelton made the earmuff gesture and the corporate umpires in NYC decided the call was safe. Before the first pitch to Ryan Jeffers was thrown, A’s P Luis Morales balk-balk-balked and the resulting base paths merry-go-round led to a run (and an A’s batting coach ejection). Now given the chance to swing away, Jeffers did just that—lining a single that scored Lee & Martin. 6-0 MN.
By B4, the Franchise Formerly Known as Oakland looked defeated—another Twins run (Ryan Kreidler) coming in on a throwing error from C Jonah Heim on a steal-of-third attempt. 7-0 MN.
Okay, maybe not—A’s slugger Nick Kurtz did clobber a Cole Sands T6 offering just out of CF Luke Keaschall’s reach and into the bullpen. Fortunately, Prielipp’s final line of 5.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K was a god-send on short notice. 7-3 MN.
Back to the inept A’s in B6. After a Kreidler ground-rule double and a steal of 3B, LF Tyler Soderstrom looked to record an easy out on Martin’s lazy fly—until the sphere clanked off the leather and sent Kreidler home & Austin into 3B. 8-3 MN.
Alas, even the apathetic A’s were not bad enough to make it easy pickings for the Twins’ bullpen. In T7, the A’s juiced the bases off Sands and then Tommy Nance immediately walked in a run. Two more green-&-yellow denizens would come around on a fielder’s choice and a sac fly. In fact, the final out would need to be recorded on a diving catch from RF Clemens. 8-6 MN.
How often do a see it: a guy ends the inning with a nice defensive play and bangs a triple batting second the subsequent half-frame. That was Klobberin’ Kody in B7—coming around to score on a Keaschall sac fly. 9-6 MN.
MOAR RUNZ in B8: Lee single—Kreidler double—Jeffers single. In fact, 13 hits in all for our beloved boys of (a very hot) summer. 11-6 MN.
After Kody Funderburk dominated T8 and Travis Adams wobbled through the 9th (allowing two runs), the Twins finally, mercifully—for those sweltering in the seats—recorded the victory.
Your Final: Minnesota Twins 11, Athletics 8.
The Chicago White Sox won today—but both the Detroit Tigers & Cleveland Guardians lost. Meaning: the Twins are still very much alive & kicking in the AL Central!
Zach’s Zealot
- The fill-ins: Prielipp recovered from a blister issue to spot-start for Ryan admirably, while Jackson made his Twins debut at first base and even recorded a nice scoop to turn a double play!
Zach’s Zombie
- The heat (again): temperatures threatening triple digits in the Twin Cities. Hopefully all the Target Field rooters made it out of this one alive and back to A/C of some kind.
Egg-cellent Elocution
- gintzer musing on changing MN weather patterns and how Target Field now seems to run hot-or-cold but not the comfortable range in between.
Who’s Got Next
- A home off day Monday is followed by the Bobby Witt-less Kansas City Royals coming to town for three clashes (Tues. night, Wed. night, Thurs. afternoon).
