Twins 11, Angels 4: Offensive Explosion Backs Pablo's Return to the Rotation

[Matt Braun]

Just don't ask what happened to Luke Keaschall. 

Image courtesy of Matt Krohn-Imagn Images (photos of Griffin Jax, Jhoan Duran), Ken Blaze-Imagn Images (photos of Byron Buxton, Pablo Lopez)

Box Score
Starting Pitcher: Pablo López: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Home Runs: Byron Buxton (6), Trevor Larnach (4)
Top 3 WPA: Trevor Larnach (.202), Pablo López (.099), Byron Buxton (.090)
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)

Fresh off (mostly) beating up on the White Sox, Minnesota entered Friday with the opportunity to collect wins against another meager opponent: the Angels. Certainly, The Other LA Team presents as a more formidable foe than Chicago—the target to beat is the floor—but their habitual mediocrity in recent years makes for a far less intimidating opponent than most. Can the Twins make the most of their matchup?

Healthy once again, Pablo López started for the Twins for the first time since April 8th. The timing couldn’t have been better: Minnesota had oscillated from sluggish to uninspiring in performance, often appearing content with their dull outcomes. López didn’t dominate with overpowering stuff like we’ve seen—he battled command, and his defense all game—but he did enough to keep his team competitive before walking off the mound. 

The Angels countered with Kyle Hendricks. The Cubs icon, once a youngster with veteran touch; now a veteran with youngster touch, still offers his usual selection of tricky sinkers, floating changeups, and impossibly tall curveballs. 

The team exchanged opening runs—the Twins off a Carlos Correa sacrifice fly; the Angels via a Jo Adell RBI single—before the game grew legs and took off. And with great haste. One of those skyscraping breakers found itself in the middle of the strike zone, perfectly placed for Byron Buxton to demolish the pitch for a solo homer. 

Two batters later, Trevor Larnach cracked a double into the right-center gap to plate a third run. 

Then the dam broke.

The inning started walk, single, walk. Which brought Ron Washington to debate replacing his starter. No, he determined. Hendricks is fine. One final walk scored a run and ended the 35-year-old’s night, perhaps a batter later than it should have. Buxton tacked on a sacrifice fly. Mickey Gasper fought off a high-and-inside offering, slashing it beyond the shortstop’s reach for the team’s sixth run of the night. Then, with two men on, Larnach strolled up to the plate, observed a first-pitch curve fall in for a strike, and smoked the next delivery 110.6 MPH over the towering wall in right-center. Nine runs. In four innings. Can you believe it?

Now pitching with a significant lead, López finished his night softly, but nonetheless successful. Mike Trout guided an RBI grounder into right field to stain the Venezuelan’s ledger with a second run before López whiffed Taylor Ward to conclude his fifth inning of work.

The next few innings were a seesaw in baseball form. The Twins would score; then the Angels would answer back. Runs scored. ERAs ballooned. Great stress and annoyance struck various pitchers, but the ultimate reality never changed; Minnesota still commanded the lead—and by a significant margin. 

The game reached its inevitable conclusion when Justin Topa caught Trout staring at a sinker that split the heart of the plate. 

Notes
Luke Keaschall exited the game following a hit by pitch in his first plate appearance. More information regarding his status will be provided when known. 

Byron Buxton hit his 139th career home run, good for 15th place in Twins history. He is two away from tying Michael Cuddyer.

Mickey Gasper earned his first career MLB extra-base hit.

Pablo López struck out his 452nd batter in a Twins uniform, the 31st-most in team history. He is 14 away from tying Tyler Duffey.

Edouard Julien set an MLB career-high with four walks. Perhaps related, the Twins forced a career-high five walks from Kyle Hendricks. 

Post-Game Interview:

What’s Next?
The Twins and Angels will return Saturday for the second of their three-game series. Simeon Woods Richardson will start opposite Yusei Kikuchi. First pitch is at 1:10 PM.

Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet

 

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[Vanimal46]

Great…

[Aggies7]

I haven’t really been angry this year despite how poorly the team has played. I’m angry now at this injury. Between the injuries to Lewis, Byron, Alex K,  JJ McCarthy and surely other young prospects so early in their careers, it’s really hard to take. Barely even got a week out of Keaschall

[LastOnePicked]

7 minutes ago, Aggies7 said:

I haven’t really been angry this year despite how poorly the team has played. I’m angry now at this injury. Between the injuries to Lewis, Byron, Alex K,  JJ McCarthy and surely other young prospects so early in their careers, it’s really hard to take. Barely even got a week out of Keaschall

It's insane. The wrath of those centerfield trees is intense.

[Parfigliano]

Can not keep having to use 4 relief pitchers a game over and over.

[Blyleven2011]

It's a good win ...

It's a sad day for twins fans and for Keaschall being hit , fractured forearm  ...

Just when things were starting to look up ...

If the twins didn't have bad luck  , they wouldn't have any luck at all  ...

[mnfireman]

Keaschall injured by a HBP...so glad MLB pitchers know how throw inside and are held responsible....

[knothole61]

I offer the words of contemporary writer Jeffrey Aberjhani as an ode to resurrection in the wake of a startling rebirth of the Twins' offense (including two hits from Gaspar!). It's baseball and tonight's resurgence against the average Angels may be fleeting, but, I believe, deserving of praise nonetheless.

"A bridge of silver wings stretches from the dead ashes of an unforgiving nightmare to the jeweled vision of a life started anew."

Win Twins! 

[DJL44]

Carlos Correa finally hit the ball HARD tonight. He looked like himself again.

Buxton looks like he wants to head home to Atlanta for the All-Star Game.

[DJL44]

There's only a couple healthy position players on the 40 man roster: Jair Camargo and Emmanuel Rodriguez (Edit: he's day-to-day with a hand injury). No wonder they just traded for Kody Clemens.

[AlLagoon]

I took a look at the boxscore, saw Keaschall's line, and knew right away bad news was awaiting.

Pretty crazy the variety and severity of injuries that plague this team.

[thelanges5]

 

[tarheeltwinsfan]

36 minutes ago, knothole61 said:

I offer the words of contemporary writer Jeffrey Aberjhani as an ode to resurrection in the wake of a startling rebirth of the Twins' offense (including two hits from Gaspar!). It's baseball and tonight's resurgence against the average Angels may be fleeting, but, I believe, deserving of praise nonetheless.

"A bridge of silver wings stretches from the dead ashes of an unforgiving nightmare to the jeweled vision of a life started anew."

Win Twins! 

Wonderful quote by Aberjhani. Thanks Knothole.

[Parfigliano]

23 minutes ago, thelanges5 said:

 

I'm shocked.

[LambchoP]

What is up with Emma's thumbs? Is it really so hard to NOT jam his thumbs over and over? What about those oven mitts? One week out of Keaschal, that's all we got. We shouldn't even be surprised, but Everytime this keeps happening it sucks....

[Mike Sixel]

1 hour ago, Vanimal46 said:

Great…

Bleep. Bleep. Bleep. Seriously, this team is cursed.

[Fire Dan Gladden]

2 hours ago, Vanimal46 said:

Great…

This is Minnesota. Did we really expect anything different?

[Bodie]

6 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

Bleep. Bleep. Bleep. Seriously, this team is cursed.

There is no such thing as "cursed"... I can't even finish that!

[mikelink45]

Mickey Gasper, Kody Clemens, Jonah Bride, Keirsey - that is our bench!  

I feel so bad for Keaschall.  

I don't know who has the Twins organizational health insurance, but I think they are about to file bankruptcy.

In the midst of mostly good news tonight I am looking at France and Bader and their numbers are fading.  Good thing Buxton is going well (stay healthy) and Larnach's bat is looking up.  We need Lewis and Wallner.

[DJL44]

I appreciate why they went and got Clemens, but they need a bat. I think I would have gone with McCusker.

[Jeff K]

51 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

I appreciate why they went and got Clemens, but they need a bat. I think I would have gone with McCusker.

They still can.  I like Kiersey, but we need runs.

[Doctor Gast]

It's too bad that it takes a Keaschall injury to fire up the Twins. Hope that anger keeps boiling.

[Doctor Gast]

Ron Washington has worked wonders with the LAA, I love his instilling of fundamentals into a team. One thing I don't like about him is that he is old school when leaving his SPs too long in a game. When playing the Twins, I don't mind.

[LambchoP]

Bring up Mccusker. With an IF of waiver wire pickups, we're going to need all the offensive help we can get and right now Keirsey and Bader aren't going to help. Keirsey can't hit, he's basically a defensive sub and pinch runner. Bader started off good and is great defensively, but he strikes out way too much. Give the big man a chance, see if he can keep this hot streak going in the majors. It worked with Keaschal until ....

[jmlease1]

The Keaschall injury absolutely sucks. He was off to a hot start and looked like a guy who was bound and determined not to go back to AAA. Liked that from him. The basestealing threat was a nice added dimension. Only good thing about this is at least there's no displacement (probably no surgery needed?) and it's an injury that shouldn't have any long-term effects on his career. But it really sucks.

Pleased with the Twins offense last night. Take those walks and get guys across. Julien can keep leaning off when he has nights like this: 4 walks and 3 runs scored? I like it. Buxton and Larnach heating up as well.

Pablo wasn't sharp, but battled through. Varland pitched a bit like he had a 15 run lead. Topa did well in finishing it off.

[Fatbat]

Mn sports fans just can’t have nice things. LK out 8 weeks. Gawd that sucks. 

[Guest]

11 hours ago, mnfireman said:

Keaschall injured by a HBP...so glad MLB pitchers know how throw inside and are held responsible....

To be fair I’m sure the intent wasn’t to hit him but the days of retribution are long gone. I’m old and I do remember players back in the day trying much harder to avoid getting hit.

[bean5302]

12 minutes ago, KillerBrew said:

To be fair I’m sure the intent wasn’t to hit him but the days of retribution are long gone. I’m old and I do remember players back in the day trying much harder to avoid getting hit.

I've watched the play, it wasn't a bad hit. Keaschall misread the movement pretty bad as he was preparing to swing at it. Hit his back arm as he pulled his lead arm up close and out of the way once he realized it was well inside. Sub-90mph pitch so he had plenty of time (relative) to get out of the way.

[JD-TWINS]

11 hours ago, Parfigliano said:

Can not keep having to use 4 relief pitchers a game over and over.

Starters first game back from IL - struggling with command……..pick a real issue…….that’s my opinion.

There’s not a reliever that projects over 81 innings at this point - Varland, former starter, has most potential innings. The other 4 most used relievers project to 62-64 innings over 162.

It’s April 26th - starters throw deeper into games as season wears on - same every year. In late August the starters “will be in need of a break” - same every year.

Varland has thrown 27 pitches over the last 5 days and 20 were last night………..what should his usage be? He’s the most used guy to date out of the Pen………….Average length for a start in MLB last 2 years is 5.18 innings and 5.24 innings……that’s over 6 months not 5 starts.

[Mike Sixel]

4 hours ago, Bodie said:

There is no such thing as "cursed"... I can't even finish that!

Really? There is no such thing as cursed? Who knew?