Twins 5, Royals 3: Gutsy Zebby and Austin’s arm get it done
· Yahoo Sports
A less-controlled-than-usual Matthews manages to last longer than we (or I) expected, and he’s helped by some Cuddyer/Rosario-style cannon shots from the outfield. Inning-by-inning notes:
(Rain Delay): Hey, remember when rain delays might have Kris Atteberry interviewing a baseball book author or something interesting like that?
Visit mchezo.co.za for more information.
No. It’s a 1991 game. I like hearing Herb Carneal and John Gordon as much as anybody, but this is LAZY, WCCO.
1: Apple’s game preview has “U Got The Look” for Zebby (he doesn’t walk a lot of guys) and “When Doves Cry” for the bullpen ‘cuz it sucks.
Original choice on one Prince title, kinda cliched on the other.
Zebby promptly walks Bobby Witt, Jr., only the fastest guy on the team. He steals but didn’t need to; he would have scored on the subsequent Vinnie Pasquantino double anyways. Then it’s Jac Caglianone’s turn to put one in the gap.
Two stung liners to second, and a two-out Klobberin’ Kody Klemens single. He doesn’t score because all the Twins fell asleep during the boring rain delay radio filler. Royals 2-0
2: Apple tells us that during the “rain delay,” no actual rain fell at Target Field. I know none did where I am in Saint Paul. So thanks, Twins, for 75 minutes of Stoopid provided by whatever AI bot is making your weather decisions.
Zebby walks the #8 hitter with one out and realizes “I’m pitching to the #8 and 9 guys” and gets the GIDP.
Another two-out hit, this an Austin Martin double. He doesn’t score either. I told you the Twins are all sleepy like me they should call it a Royals win now so we can all go to bed
3: Short delay when Bux hits the wall after catching a long hard fly. He is OK, we think.
View LinkZebby finishes this inning with 41 pitches thrown, a nice rebound after the earlier wildnessyness.
Bux maybe not OK. Tristan Gray now pinch-hitting. He drops a bunt down the third base line, and Alex Jackson (who led off with a single) takes third on a Wacha airmail throw to first. He’ll score on a Brooks Lee FC. Visiting fans’ team 2-1
4: Apple graphic shows that in Royals history, the only player to make it to the majors faster than Caglianone was Bo Jackson. Boy, THAT takes me back. Anyways, BoJac knows Zebby; he takes the 3-2 walk after the earlier double. Then Isaac Collins singles. Then Michael Massey does… but Martin’s throw beats Caglianone by a millimeter. Wow, can’t believe Zebby got out of this one.
View Link1-2-3 for the Twins. We so TIRED
5: 1-2-3 for Zebby too. I have to get a sammich. I so hungered.
AND for the Twins, too. They also hungered. For BED.
6: Another good frame for Zebster.
OH NO! A Brooks Lee leadoff homer! I mean, yay for him, but if this game goes to extra innings I will curse his favorite hamster. Clemens follows with a double. So does Josh Bell! Then Orlando Arcia singles to right, and Caglianone’s throw to the infield is WAY offline, so Bell scores and Arcia takes second. A Keaschall lineout. Then a passed ball sends Arcia to third. Wacha has Martin down 1-2… and Sal Perez lets another one get by! (He’s a very good catcher, this usually doesn’t happen.) Arcia scores!
Actually, those were officially scored as wild pitches and not PBs, but that’s because a bad person instead of me is the official scorer. Hard-throwing Steven Cruz finishes the inning, but it’s Twins 5-2
7: Zebby still in there, and he walks Collins on four pitches. He gets the next hitter, then steps off/throws to first one too many times, and it’s an automatic balk. (I hate this rule.) Gets Nick Loftin, then Kyle Isbel singles to right… and Martin throws out the runner at home! Again! Crazy!
View LinkTristan Gray has a one-out double but does not score because the Twins are sleepy again.
8: Here we go bullpen time. Anthony “The Last Waltz” Banda pitching. Boy does he love throwing sliders. It works on Starling Marte but not Witt, Jr., who doubles into the right-center gab. Then it works on PH Lane Thomas, and Perez goes down on one pitch. Yay!
RHP Beck Way making his MLB debut at age 26. His debutante inning goes fine.
9: Travis Adams in for the Twins with his 8.18 ERA in 11.0 IP. Leadoff hit by Caglianone, one-out hit by Michael Massey, sending Caglianone to third and putting the tying run at the plate in PH Maikel Garcia. He groundout RBIs, and Isbel pops out. Whew! Twims wim! (Yes we spell it wrong on purpose here sometimes.)
Studs: Zebulon, Martin (duh), two hits apiece for Gray and Clemens, 2 RBI for Lee. Duds: the Twins’ fuggin’ weather department.
COTG to Minnesota1952 and nagurksi for food / mob movie references, and me for predicting that Zebby couldn’t possibly go seven innings (which we call in the sports-scribing business an “intentional reverse jinx”). Thanks everyone who was at least adding something from time-to-time; I know this one went late.
Tomorrow’s game is at 1:10 and features something called a Luinder Avila against our own Joe Ryan. Byron Buxton T-shirt giveaway, he may be playing or not. (It’s a “shoulder contusion,” day-t0-day.) Catch ya next time!