Twins 4, Cubs 2: Twins Seal Series Over Cubs with Second Straight Win

[Sherry Cerny]

Image courtesy of © Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Box Score
SP: David Festa  5.1 IP, 3H, 2ER, 2BB, 3K (72 pitches, 49 strikes (59%))
Home Runs: Matt Wallner (9); 
Top 3 WPA: Wallner .113; Festa .100; Brock Stewart .70
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)

David Festa took the mound Wednesday night. Festa has bounced back and forth in his appearances this season, between two runs on a good day and eight in a rough appearance. The team has been consistent in their praise of his progress, though, especially as he improves at filling up the zone and finds comfort with his third and fourth pitches, the changeup and sinker. Leadoff man Ian Happ hit the first pitch hard, for a threatening foul ball, but that was the most danger Festa faced in the first. He struck out Happ and (one batter later) Seiya Suzuki.

Cade Horton took the mound for the Cubs and let his third pitch go high and inside, hitting Byron Buxton in the hand guard—and, unfortunately, the hand itself caught a partial blow. During a review (the play was initially called a foul ball, but Buxton got first after the replay), he talked at length with Rocco Baldelli and the training staff. He stayed in the game initially, though. He took a long lead during Trevor Larnach’s at-bat and stole his 17th base of the season.

Ryan Jeffers added to the RBIs he’s been racking up lately, on a two-out single to left field to score Buxton to get the Twins on the board. Carlos Correa followed that with a scalded double to the wall in right-center, on which the Twins' burly catcher managed to come all the way around and score—albeit on a close play.

Matt Wallner, back? It’s possible. Wallner is another one who has had trouble this season at the plate, but he has continued to make adjustments and moving him down in the lineup may have been a good choice. Wallner waffled a ball down the right-field line, utterly whomped but so close to the foul line (and so high) that everyone had to wait a moment to see which way the winds might send it. It stayed fair, and carried out.

Brooks Lee was brought in at the bottom of the second to pinch-hit for Buxton, who reportedly has a contusion to his left hand. Twins Daily will keep an eye on the situation. For now, Buxton is day-to-day.

Festa really lost command early on in the fourth inning, and took a while to get it back. The Cubs couldn't touch him with a scoreboard-flipping blow, but after Festa created traffic with some wildness, Dansby Swanson managed an RBI infield single and Nico Hoerner beat out an RBI fielder's choice. That narrowed the Twins' lead to one run, at 3-2.

Festa’s fifth inning was much cleaner. He sat down each hitter, 1-2-3, quicker than he went through the first hitter in the fourth.  His recovery and ability to give the Twins four more outs after his near-meltdown inning were hugely important.

Royce Lewis got his sixth double this season in the bottom of the fourth. In a good sign of how far he’s come since his return, Lewis hustled for that double, then stole home in a double-steal maneuver with Wallner with the two at each corner base. The Twins manufactured three of their four runs Wednesday with aggressive baserunning. It was uncharacteristic, but welcome.

Festa returned for the sixth, but only got in one pitch and an out on a drive to left field. He was replaced by Danny Coulombe, to pitch to left-handed sluggers Pete Crow Armstrong and Michael Busch. Without trouble, Coulombe finished out the inning. Brock Stewart and Louis Varland came in the seventh and eighth innings, eliminating any threat of the Cubs crawling back, with only 18 pitches between them. Couldn't ask for anything better. After a busy night of warmups and four innings pitched from five hurlers Tuesday night, the quick work from all three of those (plus closer Jhoan Duran) was great to see.

What’s Next? 
The Twins finish out the series with the Chicago Cubs on Thursday in an early game, before the Pittsburgh Pirates come to town before the All-Star break. Chris Paddack (3-7; 4.64 ERA) will be taking the mound against Colin Rea (6-3; 4.13 ERA) at 12:10 PM CT. 

Postgame Interviews

 

Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet

	SAT	SUN	MON	TUE	WED	TOT
Adams	68	0	0	0	0	68
Jax	12	13	0	22	0	47
Coulombe	14	0	0	17	13	44
Durán	34	0	0	0	8	42
Stewart	0	12	0	12	7	31
Sands	19	0	0	6	0	25
Varland	0	9	0	0	11	20
Misiewicz	0	0	0	0	0	0
Topa	0	15	0	0	0	15

 

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[Bracky]

Nice to see two series wins in a row against quality opponents.

Overall good start for Festa. Really nice work from Stew, Varland and Duran

[Dman]

When this team pitches well they win games.  four runs from this offense is about the best you can hope for most nights so they need to pitch well to win.

I think the baseball gods dislike me.  When I root for this team to win they lose badly.  When I essentially root for them to lose or don't care if they lose they get series wins against two of the better teams in baseball.

Being three back with one of the easier schedule's to the deadline playing the bottom three NL teams in three different series. There is a good chance this team is in one of the wild card spots come the end of July.  Unless the baseball gods reverse course, because I see a path to the playoffs.

[madtowntwin]

Day to Day with a hand contusion....HR Derby scratch?? Byron has been way too valuable to this team for the risk, right? Right??

[stringer bell]

The wins yesterday and today make me want to believe. Good pitching, some really good defense with a sprinkling of base running to add a couple more runs. 

PPM (Perkins, Plouffe, Morneau) were discussing the Twins chances of contending and one of them mentioned three guys--Wallner, Lewis and Correa--as the keys to rolling on offense. I certainly agree and there were hopeful signs from all three guys today.

The Buxton injury today points out just how vital Buck has been for this team so far. While Bader is a fine center fielder, the way he hit today shows why he was available pretty cheap on the free agent market. It appears that Buxton's injury is not serious, but we probably won't know for a couple days how serious the injury turned out to be. 

On balance I've enjoyed the broadcasts for the three former Twins turned analysts. Each offers something to the broadcast and they all have a sense of humor and interesting perspective. 

[tony&rodney]

I have questioned whether Royce Lewis was healthy when he returned on this site. Royce looked off balance and slow in his rehab games with St. Paul. Tonight, Lewis looked good running the bases .... the best he has looked all year. He also looked solid at the plate in his long fly out to right field. This could be good for the Twins.

I will quibble and say Royce has to catch that throw from Correa for the force-out and he should know to go home instead of trying for a double play on a fast runner. 

Still, pleased to see RL look better all around and seemingly healthier.

 

[knothole61]

I'm becoming a big Varland fan...will that be the kiss of death?

[Doctor Wu]

The Twins manufactured three of their four runs Wednesday with aggressive baserunning. It was uncharacteristic, but welcome.

Yes, that is a very welcome thing indeed. Could this be a new Twins trend? Aggressive baserunning, sacrifice bunts, stealing bases. More of this, please!

[Doctor Wu]

8 hours ago, madtowntwin said:

Day to Day with a hand contusion....HR Derby scratch?? Byron has been way too valuable to this team for the risk, right? Right??

Good question. We'll know more in a day or two in regards to how this bruise affects his hitting. But I agree; if there is any risk of further injury, he should skip both the HR derby and the ASG. 

[Melissa]

Such an excellent game summary, Sherry - thank you!

When Matt Waller and Ryan “Jeff” Jeffers star on the basepaths, let’s let that soak in for a bit. These boys want to play and win!

Correa is on a tear recently, mostly singles, some doubles - and clutch!

[jmlease1]

Very nice win. I got pretty nervous in the 4th with Festa who looked like he was going to throw the lead away, but while he wobbled he didn't implode. Might be an important step for him. He had some very nice moments and if he can keep from getting too wild you can see exactly why the Twins continue to have faith in him.

Bullpen was excellent. Really liked how efficient they were in finishing off the game too. This is why many of us thought we could have a top-flight bullpen this season, and if Sands and Topa get locked in as well (and Sands has looked good since being part of the June Swoon) then it's an awfully deep and good bullpen even if the last spot has been filler.

Be great if Correa and Wallner get hot, and they looked good tonight. Jeffers has been on a nice run too. But have to hope this doesn't linger for Buxton (thrilled nothing is broken, was really worried about that!) because while Bader can replace his defense he simply doesn't have Buck's upside on offense. Bader's been a nice pickup with some big hits, but he's a streaky offensive player who can look awful quickly at the plate.

Go for the sweep! Cubs are a good team, so this has been a very nice series. Holding down the team leading MLB in scoring is a nice feat for the pitching after a rotten June. Keep it up! Pablo and Zebby are coming...

[Doctor Wu]

42 minutes ago, Melissa said:

Correa is on a tear recently, mostly singles, some doubles - and clutch!

Yes, he seems to finally be picking up some much-needed hits. But it seems like after every game where he gets multiple hits, his next game is an 0-for. Here's hoping his recent (relatively) hot streak gets even hotter in the second half. 

[CRF]

Nice win and a decent start by Festa. Let's sweep these guys...no white flag this afternoon.

[mickster]

8 hours ago, knothole61 said:

I'm becoming a big Varland fan...will that be the kiss of death?

He is in the role that is best for him and he excels there.................

[mickster]

1 hour ago, Doctor Wu said:

The Twins manufactured three of their four runs Wednesday with aggressive baserunning. It was uncharacteristic, but welcome.

Yes, that is a very welcome thing indeed. Could this be a new Twins trend? Aggressive baserunning, sacrifice bunts, stealing bases. More of this, please!

This is becoming a trend.   Larnach hustling out a double a few days back, and also aggressive to the plate, same with Jeffers last night.   Taking chances at the right times and putting pressure on the defense.   Even the Lee bunt.

[tony&rodney]

Add my voice to those who appreciate a seeming slight change in play. Wonder where or why this hustle and using all options to win was previously?

[JD-TWINS]

9 hours ago, madtowntwin said:

Day to Day with a hand contusion....HR Derby scratch?? Byron has been way too valuable to this team for the risk, right? Right??

I thought that before the first pitch yesterday - no stopping him in Georgia, apparently.

[JD-TWINS]

16 minutes ago, tony&rodney said:

Add my voice to those who appreciate a seeming slight change in play. Wonder where or why this hustle and using all options to win was previously?

Wallner & Lewis were on IL, then not performing - Jonah Bride, Kiersey, etc. have been filling out the roster…….Alcala & others were brutal ……. there weren’t as many options to use, IMO.

[Doctor Gast]

3 of our 4 runs came from baserunning, which has been a taboo in the past. Buck should always have a green light to steal, he did & again set up the 1st run & tempo for the game. The next 2 almost gave me a heart attack. 1st, Tucker lost the ball going for a deep fly, Watkin sent Jeffers, which ended up to be a very close play. Wallner played it perfectly on a double steal & SEA fell for it. Many good catchers would fake a throw to 2B & try to catch the runner off 3B. I personally wouldn't have risked Lewis into a situation that could have produced another pulled hamstring. Maybe with the hot weather, Lewis's threat of pulled hamstring is behind him.

Correa's stats away are abysmal, but at home they are quite good. Beating the Cubbies have sparked some hope. I don't believe in baseball gods. Just saying.

[Western SD Fan]

9 hours ago, stringer bell said:

On balance I've enjoyed the broadcasts for the three former Twins turned analysts. Each offers something to the broadcast and they all have a sense of humor and interesting perspective.

I think I made this comment somewhere else.  Tuesday, when it was Perk "leading" the broadcast, it seemed disjointed, and everyone was gaining their footing.  Last night, with Morneau leading the broadcast, it was a much cleaner broadcast.  I think that had more to do with giving kudos to the production team and Audra taking a little more of the broadcast transitions and making adjustments from Monday's broadcast.  Last night's broadcast is one that, if repeated, would be something I could watch or listen to on a more consistent basis or as an alternate broadcast.  My suggestion would be to do this type of broadcast during a Players weekend, Hall of Fame weekend, or a weekend during the season when a lot of players are back in Minneapolis when you can get the diversity of stories.

[Old Crow]

2 hours ago, Doctor Wu said:

The Twins manufactured three of their four runs Wednesday with aggressive baserunning. It was uncharacteristic, but welcome.

Yes, that is a very welcome thing indeed. Could this be a new Twins trend? Aggressive baserunning, sacrifice bunts, stealing bases. More of this, please!

It's the way the game was ment to be played.

[Old Crow]

6 minutes ago, Western SD Fan said:

I think I made this comment somewhere else.  Tuesday, when it was Perk "leading" the broadcast, it seemed disjointed, and everyone was gaining their footing.  Last night, with Morneau leading the broadcast, it was a much cleaner broadcast.  I think that had more to do with giving kudos to the production team and Audra taking a little more of the broadcast transitions and making adjustments from Monday's broadcast.  Last night's broadcast is one that, if repeated, would be something I could watch or listen to on a more consistent basis or as an alternate broadcast.  My suggestion would be to do this type of broadcast during a Players weekend, Hall of Fame weekend, or a weekend during the season when a lot of players are back in Minneapolis when you can get the diversity of stories.

Constant cutting away to a split screen is not my cup of tea especialy when the game is in progress.  

[jmlease1]

45 minutes ago, Western SD Fan said:

I think I made this comment somewhere else.  Tuesday, when it was Perk "leading" the broadcast, it seemed disjointed, and everyone was gaining their footing.  Last night, with Morneau leading the broadcast, it was a much cleaner broadcast.  I think that had more to do with giving kudos to the production team and Audra taking a little more of the broadcast transitions and making adjustments from Monday's broadcast.  Last night's broadcast is one that, if repeated, would be something I could watch or listen to on a more consistent basis or as an alternate broadcast.  My suggestion would be to do this type of broadcast during a Players weekend, Hall of Fame weekend, or a weekend during the season when a lot of players are back in Minneapolis when you can get the diversity of stories.

And nice to see Hrbek stop by, even if he didn't get on the mic. The trio seemed genuinely delighted to see him. Only a quick view, but he looked pretty good post-stroke, and I hope he's recovering well.

[PDX Twin]

Why do you provide us with video of a homerun---about as interesting as watching a golfer drive---and neglect one of the most exciting plays in baseball: a steal of home?

[Melissa]

13 minutes ago, PDX Twin said:

Why do you provide us with video of a homerun---about as interesting as watching a golfer drive---and neglect one of the most exciting plays in baseball: a steal of home?

Interesting point. I think both are exciting when watching live - especially so in person. I agree though that stealing home is even better. I wonder whether the video available shows enough of the angles - Wallner taking off, then getting in a rundown on purpose, Lewis edging down the line, then dashing home.

Personally, I go to MLB.com for game videos. And as I e complained about for years, this site (almost?) never bothers to provide captions for lead photos.

[stringer bell]

Not technically a steal of home folks. It was literally a fielder's choice getting Wallner in the rundown, but allowing Lewis to score.

I'll beat this drum for a long time--the Twins are a slow team. Trying stuff like the delayed double steal or scoring from first on a double depend a bit on the element of surprise and the margin for error is tiny with slow runners. If the Twins continue to be hyper aggressive, they are going to run into a bunch of outs. It does help that Lewis is now running much better, but one guy moving from glacial speed to average doesn't change everything. 

[Western SD Fan]

38 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

Not technically a steal of home folks. It was literally a fielder's choice getting Wallner in the rundown, but allowing Lewis to score.

I'll beat this drum for a long time--the Twins are a slow team. Trying stuff like the delayed double steal or scoring from first on a double depend a bit on the element of surprise and the margin for error is tiny with slow runners. If the Twins continue to be hyper aggressive, they are going to run into a bunch of outs. It does help that Lewis is now running much better, but one guy moving from glacial speed to average doesn't change everything. 

Correct.  The analysts stated this last night as well as they were surprised that the Cubs catcher actually threw through to get Wallner considering that the Twins have tried this before in the Rays series.  The analysts suggested it was an error either by the catcher or the coaches for not catching it and warning the catcher of it.  While I like the aggressiveness, I agree that it shouldn't be a permanent strategy and eventually we will run into outs, kind of like the contact play we kept running over and over earlier this season.

[RpR]

4 hours ago, Doctor Wu said:

The Twins manufactured three of their four runs Wednesday with aggressive baserunning. It was uncharacteristic, but welcome.

Yes, that is a very welcome thing indeed. Could this be a new Twins trend? Aggressive baserunning, sacrifice bunts, stealing bases. More of this, please!

Maybe it was because one wants to see it, but Wally looked more agile last night.

[Linus]

1 hour ago, stringer bell said:

Not technically a steal of home folks. It was literally a fielder's choice getting Wallner in the rundown, but allowing Lewis to score.

I'll beat this drum for a long time--the Twins are a slow team. Trying stuff like the delayed double steal or scoring from first on a double depend a bit on the element of surprise and the margin for error is tiny with slow runners. If the Twins continue to be hyper aggressive, they are going to run into a bunch of outs. It does help that Lewis is now running much better, but one guy moving from glacial speed to average doesn't change everything. 

100% this, like Jeffers getting picked off first when he wasn’t going anywhere. This team wasnt constructed to be an aggressive baserunning team. Let Buck and Castro do their thing: everyone else just don’t run into outs.