Article: MIN 10, BAL 1: Twins Pick Up First Sweep of 2018

[Tom Froemming]

Baltimore is certainly living up to their nickname of the OriLOLs.

 

The Twins swept a series for the first time all season, and they outscored the O’s 26-8 over the four-game set. Sunday was just the second time all season the Twins scored 10 or more runs, and the first time they’ve done so in a victory. Jake Odorizzi had a great start and the bats produced three home runs.Snapshot (chart via FanGraphs)

Jake Odorizzi: 69 Game Score, 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 5 K, 1 BB, 65.3% strikes

Bullpen: 3.0 IP, 1 ER, 1 K, 0 BB

Lineup: 4-for-8 w/RISP, 4 LOB

WPA of 0.1 or higher: Odorizzi 360, Garver .158

WPA of -0.1 or lower: None

Download attachment: WinEx78.png

This game was actually scoreless through the first four and a half innings. Mitch Garver hit an epic two-run homer to give the Twins the lead in the bottom of the fifth. The Orioles, on the other hand, only got three runners as far as second base in the six innings Odorizzi pitched. Their only run came in the ninth, once the game was already well in hand.

 

The Twins really broke through in what was an ugly sixth inning for Baltimore. Here’s how the start of that inning unfolded:

 

-Brian Dozier double

-Eduardo Escobar two-run home run

-Logan Morrison shift-beating bunt single

-Robbie Grossman single

-Max Kepler single

 

Then with the bases loaded, Garver hit a ground ball to shortstop. Manny Machado went home, but his throw pulled the catcher off the dish and everybody was safe. Jake Cave followed with an RBI single. The Twins got another run that inning without the ball leaving the infield, as Jorge Polanco hit a ground ball right at first baseman Chris Davis, but he hesitated to throw home and was only able to record the out at first base instead.

 

Oh, and then Dozier's three-run homer. Bad opponent or not, it’s been great to see the Twins take advantage.

 

Things don’t get any more difficult for the Twins, as they’ll go from playing the worst team in baseball to the second-worst team in baseball. The Royals are coming into town for a three-game series.

 

Bullpen Usage

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

Download attachment: Bullpen78.png

AL Central Standings

CLE 49-39

MIN 39-48 (-9.5)

DET 40-52 (-11)

CHW 30-60 (-20)

KC 25-63 (-24)

 

Next Three Games

Mon vs. KC, 7:10 pm CT: Jose Berrios vs. Danny Duffey

Tue vs. KC, 7:10 pm CT: Aaron Slegers vs. Jason Hammel

Wed vs. KC, 12:10 pm CT: Lance Lynn vs. TBD

 

Last Three Games

MIN 5, BAL 4: More Baltimore, Please

MIN 6, BAL 2: Jake Cave Is the Hero We Deserve

MIN 5, BAL 2: Slegers, Cave Lift Twins Out of Slump

 

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[mattk]

My favorite hit of the game: Morrison's bunt single! I hate the shift.

[terrydactyls]

My favorite hit of the game: Morrison's bunt single! I hate the shift.

 

If Morrison continues to bunt against the shift, he may get his average above the Mendoza line and become trade material.

[Brandon]

If we sweep the Royals too are we still sellers or do we see how we play with Buxton back up to so Cave can DH when not in the OF for a couple weeks first?

[howeda7]

 

If we sweep the Royals too are we still sellers or do we see how we play with Buxton back up to so Cave can DH when not in the OF for a couple weeks first?

They have picked up 2.5 games on Cleveland this series. The lead is back to single digits. At a minimum, I don't expect any early trades. They would still have to be within 6-8 games by 7/31 to not sell.  I felt 8-3 on this home stand was the minimum not to begin blowing things up at the ASB. So far so good. 

Edited July 8, 2018 by howeda7

[howeda7]

Great game by Garver, and great job by Odorizzi holding it together throwing to such a bum. I look forward to Magic Fingers Wilson being back in there tomorrow. 

[Platoon]

If I was the FO I would check the schedule. If we continue to play Baltimore and KC, we are buyers. If we have to delve deeper into the league like the White Sox, we should sell, sell, sell!

[Danchat]

 

If we sweep the Royals too are we still sellers or do we see how we play with Buxton back up to so Cave can DH when not in the OF for a couple weeks first?

At that point we'd be a team 6 games below .500 trying to win a division against a team that is 10 games above .500 and the next 15 of 19 games are against teams that are below .500. Cleveland is easily going to win this division unless they suddenly implode. Counting on that to get into the playoffs and try and face the Yankees and Red Sox with this roster is foolish IMO. It's time to trade our soon-to-be free agents.

[KirbyDome89]

I think we learned more about the Orioles than the Twins this series. I thought I knew what bad baseball looked like after watching the Twins. Baltimore just got swept in 4 games by a team that was 2-11 in their last 13 games coming into the series. Yuck....

 

Not that I think the outcome of this series or the next will change the Twins' plan for the deadline but hollow victories against two awful teams shouldn't change their stance. 

[mickeymental]

yuck? for sure. but it was less than a month ago that the twins took four of six from the red sox and indians combined. that's baseball.

[Vanimal46]

This is their best chance to win 6 games in a row! Enjoy the moment.

[dbminn]

I enjoyed watching my hometown nine beat a bad team. Every win is fun if you don't carry baggage to the game. 

[VATwinsFan]

Miscellaneous:

 

Buxton was 3 for 5 today with NO strikeouts.

 

Between 30 July and 9 August the Twins play the Indians 7 times.  3 at home, then 3 at home against the Royals, then 4 against the Indians at Cleveland. 

 

 

[SEC]

You have to start somewhere and this was a start. Am I saying they’ll come back and win the division? Of course not but it feels good to have optimism especially when it gives me bragging rights in my household with the Twins taking 6 of 7 from the O’s.

[Dantes929]

Orioles win 1 of every 4 games against the league.   Winning a series against them is no great accomplishment but sweeping them is a good thing.   Twins last 4 losses were by a total of 5 runs so it wasn't necessarily bad baseball.    Polanco helps.  Buxton playing well would be the same shot in the arm.   You can't say KC is a sure thing so beating them up would be a good thing also.    Not expecting to catch Cleveland but not giving up either.   Shouldn't really even think about it.   Have a really good July and see where we are then.     

[ThejacKmp]

Yeah. The Twins don't have such insanely good pieces to sell that they need to move now. Rodney is the only guy I'd be shopping right now because of his ability to implode and then be worth nothing. See where you are at the end of July and if you're out of it, sell Dozier, Reed, Duke, Escobar etc. for what you can get. It won't be much so you don't have much to lose playing the string out on this.