Game Score: Twins 7, Royals 3

[Matthew Lenz]

The Twins finish the season on a high note with back-to-back wins and a series victory over the Royals. They end one of the most disappointing seasons in MLB history with a record 73-89 and last place in the AL Central. That and more in today's recap!

Box Score
Charlie Barnes: 2.2 IP, 7 H, 2 ER (3 R), 1 BB, 3 K
Homeruns: Polanco (33), Buxton (19)
Top 3 WPA: Polanco (.104), Minaya (.091), Vincent (.085)
Win Probability Chart (via Fangraphs)

Twins Offense Strikes Early
It didn’t take but seven pitches for the Twins to take a three-run lead against rookie Jackson Kowar. After a single by Luis Arraez to start the game, Byron Buxton extended his MLB record with his 41st extra-base hit, and then Jorge Polanco went boom.

The onslaught continued with a Josh Donaldson walk, Max Kepler single, and an RBI single from Miguel Sanó making it 4-0 Twins before they recorded their first out with a Brent Rooker strikeout. A Nick Gordon fielder's choice scored Kepler and then Ryan Jeffers struck out to end the inning with a 5-0 cushion for Charlie Barnes.

The Twins were mostly quiet until the top of the lineup was due up for a third time in the top of the fifth. Arraez led off with another single before Buxton, once again, extended his MLB record with another extra-base hit…this time a four bagger to make it 7-0.

That would be the last of the Twins threats of the day as they were only able to muster up two more hits, another came from Arraez, in the last three innings of play.

Charlie Barnes Gets Knocked Out Early but Bullpen Finishes Year Strong
For the first time all season, Barnes wasn’t able to give the Twins four innings as he was pulled after just eight outs. In his 2 ⅔ innings he allowed nine baserunners and three runs (two earned). He actually posted a respectable 13-percent whiff percentage but when the Royals made contact, they averaged an exit velocity of 106.2 miles per hour, which was ultimately his demise.

Juan Minaya came on in relief and was able to hold the Royals to just the three runs followed by a two strikeout inning in the fourth.

Nick Vincent shined in his two innings needing only 15 pitches to strikeout two Royals and get six outs.

Not to be outdone by Vincent, Kyle Barraclough struck out the side in the seventh and added one more in the eighth before being pulled in favor of Jorge Alcala who finished the inning with a strikeout of his own.

Alcala pitched a clean ninth with two strikeouts and earned his first career save after blowing his first four opportunities this year.

	WED	THU	FRI	SAT	SUN	TOT
Barraclough	0	14	0	0	36	50
Minaya	22	0	0	0	27	49
Thielbar	0	14	0	26	0	40
Farrell	0	0	38	0	0	38
Moran	0	0	38	0	0	38
Duffey	21	0	0	15	0	36
Alcalá	0	13	0	0	19	32
Vincent	0	16	0	0	15	31
Colomé	18	0	0	7	0	25
Coulombe	0	0	15	0	0	15
Garza Jr.	0	12	0	0	0	12

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[roger]

Twins go from first to last.  Didn’t they once go from last to World Series champs?  Can they do it again?

[USAFChief]

"One of the most disappointing seasons in MLB history"??

[BH67]

Buxton finishes 2021 with a 1.005 OPS.

[tony&rodney]

The Twins finished on a positive note - that is a good thing.

[RonCoomersOPS]

13 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

"One of the most disappointing seasons in MLB history"??

Seriously. This was about as far over the top as you could go without coming around to the bottom again.

[Vanimal46]

19 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

"One of the most disappointing seasons in MLB history"??

A top contender in the 2021 preposterous statement tournament. Not even the most disappointing season this year.
 

The Nationals lost 97 games in a year they had Max Scherzer, Juan Soto, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Josh Bell on roster. The Cubs lost 91 games with an even more talented lineup on roster during the season. 

[Nine of twelve]

25 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

"One of the most disappointing seasons in MLB history"??

I've said a million times not to exaggerate.

[USAFChief]

1 minute ago, Nine of twelve said:

I've said a million times not to exaggerate.

73% of the numbers claimed in internet posts are made up out of thin air.

[VivaBomboRivera!]

40 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

"One of the most disappointing seasons in MLB history"??

We have become the GREATEST NATION for hyperbole.

[Dman]

Not gonna lie this was a tough season to watch the Twins.  Being out of it almost from the very beginning of the season just sucked.  To be honest I am kind of glad the year is over.  Be good to have a fresh start next year.

Nice to get the win and not lose 90 games but still being last in a bad division hurts as well.  It will be interesting to see what this team does to try to solve their pitching woes.  Anyway glad this year is behind us as I am more than ready to move on.

[VivaBomboRivera!]

28 W - 28 L since 1 August.  Would we have been happy if they had gone .500 all season?  Given the promise that we thought '21 would have, mediocrity would have been just as bitter as the poor performance we've just experienced.  Let's be happy to put this one behind us. 

Wait'll next year!

[Thebigalguy]

If the Twins don’t resign Buxton to an extension,  I’m gone.

[Old Twins Cap]

26 minutes ago, Thebigalguy said:

If the Twins don’t resign Buxton to an extension,  I’m gone.

Yeah, me too.  Buxton could be Willy Mays over the next five years.  I will never get over watching him win the World Series for the Yanks or Dodgers.  

DO SOMETHING Falvine!

[Monticore]

Positive last two games. Extending Buxton is imperative.

[ashbury]

1 hour ago, USAFChief said:

"One of the most disappointing seasons in MLB history"??

Yeah. Pointless understatement.  How about, THE most disappointing result in the history of human endeavor.

[Chachi]

2 hours ago, USAFChief said:

73% of the numbers claimed in internet posts are made up out of thin air.

It’s actually 72%.  There’s a rounding error in there somewhere.

[darwin22]

Nice to see Alcala finish on a positive note without any "drama" in the 9th.  We all know Colome would've given up at least 2 or runs if he had pitched.  Time to cut bait.

[big dog]

Well, it is at least MY most disappointing season in MLB history, anyway.

[USAFChief]

1 hour ago, Chachi said:

  There’s a rounding error in there somewhere.

That's a crack about my weight, huh?

[Whitey333]

I believe it would qualify as one of the most disappointing seasons in TWINS history, not MLB history.  One stat I saw the other day involved the records since Target Field opened.  In the 12 years since since Target Field opened the Twins have missed the playoffs seven times and finished last 5 times.  Not a reflection of the beautiful ballpark but perhaps of organization philosophies.  Maybe they don't care where the team finished as long as a profit is made.

[wsnydes]

12 hours ago, ashbury said:

Yeah. Pointless understatement.  How about, THE most disappointing result in the history of human endeavor.

Don't want to oversell it!

[wsnydes]

10 hours ago, USAFChief said:

That's a crack about my weight, huh?

If the quote in your first post on this thread is any indication, the scales are broken anyway so there's no way of knowing!

[wsnydes]

On a more serious note, thanks to @Matthew Lenz and all of the game recappers.  I'm sure that they're not always an enjoyable assignment, but I look to them every day!

[mikelink45]

It interesting to me that after a terrible season we are left with a debate over which adjective to assign to it.  We were last in the worst division - imagine if we were in the East.  Disappointment and shock are the best descriptors I have.  Because we all believed we were in a fight for the third division title in three years.   I do not know anyone or any service that foresaw this travesty.

I still see the lineup with the potential of a very good team, there are good prospects.  The season hinged on SP and RP and even with a few gems at the end, we go into 2022 knowing our best pitcher is gone.  So will 2022 be a surprise and a joy or do we have to go to the thesaurus for disappointment and shock again?

[PDX Twin]

15 hours ago, USAFChief said:

"One of the most disappointing seasons in MLB history"??

Only slightly less disappointing than every year the Yankees don't win the World Series...

[wsnydes]

41 minutes ago, PDX Twin said:

Only slightly less disappointing than every year the Yankees don't win the World Series...

Strangely enough, I seem to enjoy those seasons more...

[Dantes929]

3 hours ago, Whitey333 said:

I believe it would qualify as one of the most disappointing seasons in TWINS history, not MLB history.  One stat I saw the other day involved the records since Target Field opened.  In the 12 years since since Target Field opened the Twins have missed the playoffs seven times and finished last 5 times.  Not a reflection of the beautiful ballpark but perhaps of organization philosophies.  Maybe they don't care where the team finished as long as a profit is made.

I believe they have now missed the playoffs 8 times.   To put into perspective though, in that time period, the Indians have missed the playoffs 7 times.   the White Sox 10 times, the Tigers 8 times and the Royals 10 times.   Making the playoffs a third of the time when there are 5 teams trying for it every year isn't really so bad.   The last place finishes are more remarkable.

[USAFChief]

4 hours ago, wsnydes said:

On a more serious note, thanks to @Matthew Lenz and all of the game recappers.  I'm sure that they're not always an enjoyable assignment, but I look to them every day!

Concur. 

[Major League Ready]

5 hours ago, Dantes929 said:

I believe they have now missed the playoffs 8 times.   To put into perspective though, in that time period, the Indians have missed the playoffs 7 times.   the White Sox 10 times, the Tigers 8 times and the Royals 10 times.   Making the playoffs a third of the time when there are 5 teams trying for it every year isn't really so bad.   The last place finishes are more remarkable.

The Royals have made the playoffs twice in the past 35 years!