Article: MIN 12, ARI 5: Twins Sweep Arizona, Have Won 11 of Last 14

[Tom Froemming]

It was all smiles and high fives in the Twins dugout as they crushed the Diamondbacks to complete the sweep Sunday afternoon. They’ve now won four in a row and 11 of their last 14 games. As a sign things have truly turned the corner for the Twins, they forced an opposing team to use a position player as a pitcher. Good to see the other guys have to revert to that tactic.Win Expectancy (via Fangraphs)

Download attachment: WinEx820.png

Top 3 Twins per WPA: Buxton .125 | Kepler .096 | Polanco .069

 

The Twins offense put up a nine spot to open the game, ensuring it would be a nice little low-stress Sunday at the ballpark. That kind of an inning obviously took a team effort, but Eddie Rosario provided the marquee moment when he absolutely crushed a grand slam.

Chris Gimenez also had a banner day, coming up a triple shy of the cycle. He was 3-for-3 with three runs, two RBI and a hit-by-pitch. Brian Dozier hit a home run, his 25th, on a ball that was up at about chin level and drew three walks. In his five plate appearances, Dozier saw 31 pitches. Mitch Garver, who started at first base, got his first career hit on an infield single and drew a walk.

 

Bartolo Colon did exactly what you’d expect a veteran starter to do when spotted a huge lead. He ended up surrendering four runs on seven hits, but he also gave the Twins six innings and threw 62 of his 91 pitches for strikes, punching out six batters while walking two. With yet another doubleheader looming tomorrow, that was a key performance from Bartolo.

 

Ryan Pressly was the first man out of the bullpen and followed suit. He went right after hitters, pitching two perfect innings. Glen Perkins came in for the ninth, his second appearance of the season, and gave up a run on two hits. He averaged 91.9 mph on his fastball, topping out at 92.9, per Baseball Savant.

 

Utility infielder Daniel Descalso pitched the eighth inning for Arizona. How perfect would it have been if Gimenez hit a triple off a position player to complete his cycle? Unfortunately, Descalso retired the Twins in order.

 

Postgame With Rosario

Twins W-L Record

Overall: 63-59

Last 10: 7-3

Last 20: 13-7

Last 40: 21-19

Last 80: 39-41

 

AL Central Standings

Cleveland 68-54

Minnesota 63-59 (-5.0)

Kansas City 62-61 (-6.5)

 

AL Wild Card Standings

WC1: Yankees 66-57 (+2.5)

WC2: Twins 63-59

Angles 64-60 (back mere percentage points)

Kansas City 62-61 (-1.5)

Seattle 63-62 (-1.5)

 

Bullpen Usage

Here’s a quick look at the number of pitches thrown by the bullpen over the past five days:

Download attachment: Bullpen820.png

Looking Ahead

MON: Twins (TBD) at White Sox (Carson Fulmer), 4:10 pm CT

MON: Twins (TBD) at White Sox (Carlos Rodon), Game 2

TUE: Twins (Kyle Gibson) at White Sox (Lucas Giolito), 7:10 pm CT

WED: Twins (Ervin Santana) at White Sox (James Shields), 7:10 pm CT

 

Question of the Day

The MLB Little League Classic is tonight. Do you have any memories to share of meeting a ballplayer when you were a kid? If not, who was your favorite player growing up?

 

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[Darius]

Awesome win. Sweeping the D-Backs is a pretty righteous thing.

 

But, a quick turnaround for a double header in Chicago with Melville and Gee starting, two of those games could be lost quickly.

 

How fun is it right now watching winning baseball?

[yarnivek1972]

 

Awesome win. Sweeping the D-Backs is a pretty righteous thing.

But, a quick turnaround for a double header in Chicago with Melville and Gee starting, two of those games could be lost quickly.

How fun is it right now watching winning baseball?

 

 

idk, Fullmer has struggled throwing strikes at the MLB level.  Like to think he is extremely beatable.  Rodon will be tough, especially with no Sano.  Have to think Vargas starts against him.  He has a HR against Rodon.  Have to like Twins chances rest of the series.  Another rookie with control issues Tuesday and then struggling James Shields vs Ervin in the finale.

[Squirrel]

idk, Fullmer has struggled throwing strikes at the MLB level.  Like to think he is extremely beatable.  Rodon will be tough, especially with no Sano.  Have to think Vargas starts against him.  He has a HR against Rodon.  Have to like Twins chances rest of the series.  Another rookie with control issues Tuesday and then struggling James Shields vs Ervin in the finale.

Berrios pitches the finale in ChiTown on Thursday vs Holland.

[twinssouth]

I'll tell you, this team is really something. This has nothing to do to today's game, instead, just reflecting on the talent.

 

I must have watched close to a dozen replays of Buxton's inside thepark homer at yesterday's game and to see that speed, especially rounding 3rd, is just not human. I guess he broke a statcast record yesterday.

 

Then, seeing Berrio's pitch. In my opinion, he has the best, high inside FB of anyone I've seen. He sets it up beautiful, then fires that filthy pitch at 94/95, it's unhittable. And then, next time thru the batter's order, he comes back and throws low and away curves and sliders. Unreal.

 

Too bad about Sano but those homers, give me a break.

 

Then the smooth athleticism of Kepler.

 

Fun watching them all play in the minors and now in the big show. This is going to last a long time.

[bighat]

Who's this Melville guy? And what's gonna happen with Slegers?

[Tom Froemming]

 

Who's this Melville guy? And what's gonna happen with Slegers?

Melville is a guy the Twins signed out of the indy leagues earlier this summer. He's a 27-year-old former fourth-round pick of the Royals. He made it onto the BP Top 100 Prospects list back in 2010. Last season he got a cup of coffee with the Reds, it didn't go well (9 IP, 11 ER, 9 BB), but he's been dynamite down in Rochester, posting a 2.70 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 8.6 K/9 over 66.2 IP.

 

Slegers was the 26th man for the doubleheader the day he pitched, so he had to go back down to Rochester. He's scheduled to start for the Wings tomorrow.

[puckstopper1]

 

Who's this Melville guy? And what's gonna happen with Slegers?

 

Didn't Melville write a book about a whale or something like that...  :-)