Yankees 5, Twins 0: Yankees Sweep Away Punchless Twins

[Steven Trefz]

The Minnesota Twins looked to salvage the final game of the series, after going 18 innings without scoring a run against Yankee pitching. Clarke Schmidt took that hope and knuckle-curved it into smithereens. Here's how the series sweep came to pass.

Image courtesy of © Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

Box Score
Starting Pitcher: Joe Ryan - 5.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 5 K ( 93 pitches, 60 strikes)
Home Runs: None
Bottom 3 WPA: Ryan (-1.37), Edouard Julien (-0.073), Max Kepler (-0.064)

Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)

Not the Start the Twins Needed
Joe Ryan began today's game with two goals: 1) Stop the demoralizing trend of getting hurt with two strikes and 2) Try to repeat his last performance in terms of length and quality. By the end of the top of the first inning, both goals were shot.

After pushing lead-off man Anthony Volpe to a 2-2 count, Ryan gave up a solo home run. Juan Soto struck out on three pitches, but after an Aaron Judge walk, Alex Verdugo stroked a two-strike single. Gleyber Torres laced a booming two-strike "double" off Alex Kirilloff's glove in deep left center scoring Judge. On his 29th pitch of the inning, a fielder's choice groundout plated Verdugo, and Ryan found himself down 3-0 before they even had a chance to take a swing.

Ryan settled down in the ensuing innings, but was pulled in the top of the sixth after allowing a double to Gleyber Torres. Caleb Thielbar couldn't strand the runner, allowing an Austin Wells RBI single to make it 4-0 bad guys.

Schmidt Starts with Authority
Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt, on the other hand, dominated the Twins lineup from the first pitch to his last. After a 1-2-3 first inning, Clarke only allowed two singles, a double, and a hit batter through six innings. Over seven scoreless, Schmidt scattered ground outs and flyouts at an even pace, and struck out a personal best-tying eight Twins as well. This marked the first time in his young career that Schmidt had gone seven full.

Here is some video evidence of how the Twins anemic attack against Yankees starting pitching continued against Schmidt's consistent mix of cutters, sweepers, and the mesmerizing and lefty-embarrassing knuckle curve.

 

No Relief in Sight
Cole Sands entered the game in the top of the seventh, and the Yankees mashers greeted him in a most stereotypically unfriendly manner. After a walk to Soto, Judge attempted to break the netting in the center field wall with a double. A simple Verdugo fly ball plated Soto, and pushed the lead to 5-0. After losing 5-1 and 4-0 the previous two nights, the Target Field faithful began to lament their paid tickets to Groundhog Day.

Meanwhile, Schmidt continued to deal into the eighth inning. After retiring Christian Vazquez and Edouard Julien on only four pitches, he got Trevor Larnach to ground out. Jon Berti booted the ball, however, and suddenly Carlos Correa was up with a chance to chase Clarke from the game. Two pitches and a lazy fly ball later, Clarke walked to the dugout having extended the Twins scoreless inning streak to a whopping 25 innings.

To the Ninth We Go!
After Jay Jackson took down the Yankees in the top of the ninth, the Twins hoped to find some source of hope off of Yankees reliever Victor Gonzalez. There was no hope to be found today, however, as three up became three down and the Yankees sweep was complete. 26 innings in a row without a run, and a date with the Guardians looming large Friday night.

Notes
Byron Buxton continues his rehab assignment with the St. Paul Saints Thursday night. There is hope that he will rejoin the club Friday or Saturday in Cleveland. 

What’s Next? 
It's time to take back the Central, as the Twins travel east to face Cleveland for a three-game set. RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (1-0, 3.24 ERA) will attempt to re-establish himself as a strength in the rotation against Guardians RHP Triston McKenzie (2-3, 3.54 ERA). The Twins enter Friday night's contest 2.5 games back of the Guardians for the division lead, and now a full game behind the Royals again as well. First pitch is set for 6:10pm CT.

Postgame Interviews

 

 

Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet

	SUN	MON	TUE	WED	WED	TOT
Funderburk	23	0	0	29	0	52
Jackson	0	0	28	0	8	36
Staumont	0	0	14	17	0	31
Sands	12	0	0	0	18	30
Okert	0	0	10	0	6	16
Durán	14	0	0	0	0	14
Thielbar	0	0	0	0	9	9
Jax	0	0	0	0	0	0

 

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[USAFChief]

I have trouble blaming Joe Ryan for much. Should have been out of the first down 1-0. I don't know what happened to MLB scorekeeping, but a routine fly ball bouncing off Kirilloff's glove isn't a double. 

 

I don't recall ever seeing a MLB outfield have a worse series. 

 

 

[AceWrigley]

Let the self-loathing begin.

[Mark G]

Ouch!  Ouch!  OUCH!!  That is what a 3 game sweep and 26 consecutive shut out innings feels like.  

But it IS only 3 games.  3 games from now, we just might be saying "take that!"  

Hope springs eternal.  

[Patzky]

If I would have heard that the Twins would have held the Yankees to 14 runs in the series I'd have been pleased. 

 

Not exactly how things turned out .

[Aggies7]

I have to wonder if a team ever hit a leadoff home run in the first game of a series and then never scored again in the remaining 3 games.
 

Yanks had a down year (for them) last season the twins still barely eeked out a season series win. Order has been restored, the Yankees are our daddy. The talent gap was on display all series long. Our nice little run against mediocre to bad teams was fun, but a mirage.

[Five minute major]

No way that the Minnesota sports god's were going to let us be happy too long.  The Wolves doing a complete about face in the playoffs after a superb game 2 performance and a punchless sweep to the hated Yanks is more inline with what we should expect.  Flyover country once again.

 

 

[Guest]

Three game sweep for the Yanks, 14 to 1. OUCH!!!! Reminds me. 
of days gone by.

[bean5302]

Twins offense looks totally desperate like they did against the Astros in the playoffs last year. Can't win games that way. 

[Aggies7]

3 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

Twins offense looks totally desperate like they did against the Astros in the playoffs last year. Can't win games that way. 

What do the kids say these days? “Skill issue”? I bet you could count the at bats their hitters gave away all series on one hand and still have a few fingers left over. Professional, well coached hitters. Even their lesser talented guys. Great approaches all series long. How many 3-4 pitch strikeouts did the twins have? I lost count  

[Randy Griffith]

Long time Twins fan.  Tired of wilting whenever the Yankees come to town.  Anemic offense needs to show more plate discipline. Outfield miscues show a lack of focus and perseverance.  Please get mad and knock the snot out of Cleveland.

[Whitey333]

Losing to the Yankees at home I'd bad enough but to not even be competitive.  They didn't even show up for the series.  Terrible outfield play all series long.  They showed no life or desire at all.  It really shows the gap between a decent team like the Twins and a very good team like the Yankees.  Getting swept was bad.  But getting swept in this manner really sucked.

[Steven Trefz]

15 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

I have trouble blaming Joe Ryan for much. Should have been out of the first down 1-0. I don't know what happened to MLB scorekeeping, but a routine fly ball bouncing off Kirilloff's glove isn't a double. 

 

I don't recall ever seeing a MLB outfield have a worse series. 

 

 

I agree, can't get Buxton back soon enough, and it appears that Kirilloff's plate woes are drifting out into left field with him.

[2wins87]

13 minutes ago, Mark G said:

Ouch!  Ouch!  OUCH!!  That is what a 3 game sweep and 26 consecutive shut out innings feels like.  

But it IS only 3 games.  3 games from now, we just might be saying "take that!"  

Hope springs eternal.  

Actually, since Jeffers homer led off the game, they were effectively shut out for an entire 3 game series after that.

Yankees pitching is good no doubt, but still, yuck.

Let's hope they can just beat Cleveland to wash the taste of this series away for now.

 

[Patzky]

7 minutes ago, Steven Trefz said:

I agree, can't get Buxton back soon enough, and it appears that Kirilloff's plate woes are drifting out into left field with him.

Honestly I'd rather see Margot out in Left than anyone else right now.. including Martin, Kirilloff, Larnach. Buxton can go 0-fer all weekend but he'll make the plays he's supposed to make.

[1985Fan]

Bad defense giving a good offense extra outs does not lead to good outcomes. What excuse do the hitters have? Made Stroman look like Cy Young. It is a confidence issue. Twins hitters get desperate when behind the Yanks and revert to pulling everything which leads to bad results. They can’t have three pitch AB’s! Try to look like a MLB team and show some fight. That was the most pathetic series since last years Braves series. 

[Riverbrian]

Can't comment on the game since I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO WATCH THE GAME!!! 

All I can say is: 

119 Games to go. On to Cleveland!!! 

Win or Lose... I sure wish that I could WATCH IT!!! 

 

[umterp23]

49 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

I have trouble blaming Joe Ryan for much. Should have been out of the first down 1-0. I don't know what happened to MLB scorekeeping, but a routine fly ball bouncing off Kirilloff's glove isn't a double. 

 

I don't recall ever seeing a MLB outfield have a worse series. 

 

 

But Chief it was written as a booming 2-strike double!  How dare we question the MLB scorekeeping (sarcasm at my best).  I agree an ERROR all the way and our OF play is quite bad, bad news bear bad

[Riverbrian]

12 minutes ago, umterp23 said:

our OF play is quite bad, bad news bear bad

Wait a second.

If I remember correctly... the Bad News Bears had some major accomplishments. They first reached the championship and lost to the Yankees (Of course the Yankees).  

Then they beat the Toro's at the Astrodome a year later for the chance to go to Japan... they did lose in Japan against the... I don't remember what they were called but Kelly was distracted and that Japanese team was the greatest team ever put together in movie history.

That team was so good that in other movies they beat Godzilla to keep him from destroying Tokyo while "helpless people on subway trains scream bug-eyed as he looks in on them".   

 

 

 

[Dman]

While I don't ever like getting swept to be dominated like that makes you feel like all hope is lost even if they do manage to make the playoffs.

[1985Fan]

Have to see how they respond in Cleveland. Cleveland took two of three back in early April. They were saved the humiliation of three game sweep when last game was rained out. If they don’t compete with Cleveland this weekend, that will show they’re really not a serious contender for AL Central or the postseason. 

[Jocko87]

That "double" will become an error on review.  The Twins will most likely petition for it.

As for the series, I'm going to look at it as a well timed wake up call. They might have been getting a little high on their own supply of, umm, sausage.

Castro reminds everyone that the little things matter, and baseball is all the little things.  Every day.

[1985Fan]

Got to get this off my chest. Is it time to send AK down to St.Paul? He looks lost at the plate and is now costing outs on defense. When was the last time he had a hit? He looks terrible in the field and at the plate. 

[MABB1959]

Being a MN sports fan is so painful.  

[MABB1959]

4 minutes ago, 1985Fan said:

Got to get this off my chest. Is it time to send AK down to St.Paul? He looks lost at the plate and is now costing outs on defense. When was the last time he had a hit? He looks terrible in the field and at the plate. 

It is so frustrating see the future fail.

[Doctor Gast]

NYY series is sad but we have CLE ahead of us. Time to suck it up!

[mikelink45]

1 hour ago, USAFChief said:

I have trouble blaming Joe Ryan for much. Should have been out of the first down 1-0. I don't know what happened to MLB scorekeeping, but a routine fly ball bouncing off Kirilloff's glove isn't a double. 

 

I don't recall ever seeing a MLB outfield have a worse series. 

 

 

That's my thought too. 

[mikelink45]

12 minutes ago, MABB1959 said:

It is so frustrating see the future fail.

Our problem is that AK is not the only one struggling. Vasquez, farmer,  Margot.  Learnock is on a 0 for 13 streak I know Julianne has gotten praise from any but he has not looked good to me this year. I know I don't judge by the same statistics that some do. But one way or another we got to start getting some runners on and even more important. Some runners to score. And a little defense wouldn't hurt. 

[Parfigliano]

Twins piss bed.  AGAIN

 

[Parfigliano]

2 hours ago, Aggies7 said:

I have to wonder if a team ever hit a leadoff home run in the first game of a series and then never scored again in the remaining 3 games.
 

Yanks had a down year (for them) last season the twins still barely eeked out a season series win. Order has been restored, the Yankees are our daddy. The talent gap was on display all series long. Our nice little run against mediocre to bad teams was fun, but a mirage.

I was at the game where the hit 3 leadoff and lost to the MFer GDF Yankees.