Twins 8, Red Sox 6: Early Deficit Erased in Scrappy Fenway Win

[Matt Braun]

Image courtesy of Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Box Score
Connor Prielipp: 4 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
Home Runs: Byron Buxton (16), Austin Martin (2)
Top 3 WPA: Austin Martin (0.270), Anthony Banda (0.220), Byron Buxton (0.200)
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs):

Payton Tolle vs Connor Prielipp. The nation hasn’t seen two young lefties this promising since John and Robert Kennedy. Acquiring the knowledge for the previous joke cost the author thousands of dollars in tuition. 

With the Twins in Boston, an opportunity arises for two squads; indeed, neither team has particularly impressed—the latter was so lukewarm, Red Sox decision-makers decided to spit the coaching staff from their mouths in April. The Twins haven’t stooped to such means, but their season remains similarly meager. Someone must succeed, though, and the victor of this game, and the series, could use the momentum and good vibes as a propeller towards future wins. 

The “promising lefties” bit concocted hours before the game ended quickly. Both starters struggled early. Prielipp allowed a flurry of runs—four of them—in the first off a series of hard-hit balls, dinky singles, and outfield-misplayed ricochets. The latter is the only way to explain a Willson Contreras triple. Hit to left-center, nonetheless. 

Evidently, the Twins were in a respondent mood. Josh Bell singled to set up Gabriel Gonzalez in his first MLB plate appearance. The youngster has made his name as a free-swinger, one who looks to push action further rather than wait for it to happen. He’ll swing 0-0, 3-0, 0-2, and everything in between. There’s no pitch he hasn’t believed he can’t hit—and in his first time in a major-league batter’s box, he walked on four pitches. 

Strange things must be abound.

With two on, Ryan Kreidler bounded a double over third baseman Caleb Durbin’s head and into the left field corner, ushering home Josh Bell. A fielding error set up Luke Keaschall with the bases loaded; he continued the assembly line with an RBI single to right. Though an Alex Jackson strikeout dampened the mood somewhat, Byron Buxton perked matters right back up with an RBI single to left, picking on the stout Durbin once more. 

Unfortunately, the “suddenly a game” game only remained in that state for one full frame, the third, before Boston struck back at Prielipp for a pair of runs in the fourth. With men on the corners, Durbin dropped down a picturesque sacrifice bunt, made even better when the lefty hurler dirted the throw to first, allowing a run to score as runners nestled home at second and third. A Jarren Duran groundout scored Boston’s sixth run of the game. 

“Unfortunately?” Well, well, well, the dramatics of the prose written in the fifth proved just that, dramatic. These Twins had more fight in them: Buxton worked a nine-pitch at-bat against reliever Justin Slaten that ended in a two-run homer for the dynamic center fielder. 

Yet, the dynamic one who was actually playing center on Friday turned out to be Austin Martin, as he also launched a two-run homer in the seventh, with this blast giving the Twins their first lead of the game.

Minnesota added on in the ninth with an RBI walk by a pinch-hitting (walking) Trevor Larnach. Though, more could have been had; the bases were loaded with no one out before and after the walk, yet the Twins scored no more. No matter: Anthony Banda remained in the game to finish his eighth inning labor, and ended matters with a scoreless frame.

Notes:

Post-Game Interviews:

 

What’s Next?
The Twins and Red Sox venture to Fenway again on Saturday for a 3:10 matinee. The illustrious if not road-weary TBD faces off against the recalcitrant young TBD. 

Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet

	MON	TUE	WED	THU	FRI	TOT
Gómez	11	0	36	0	13	60
Adams	0	19	0	0	29	48
Orze	19	0	0	0	14	33
Banda	0	16	0	0	14	30
Morris	16	0	10	0	0	26
Woods Richardson	18	0	0	0	0	18
Rogers	11	0	0	0	0	11
Garcia	0	0	0	0	0	0

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[GopherMike]

This team is hilarious. They look completely dead, lose Jeffers, option Royce, call up half of St. Paul, then  win four of five. 

Baseball

[GNess]

Right now the Twins are exceeding my expectations for sure. Gritty win tonight.

[Parfigliano]

6 minutes ago, GopherMike said:

This team is hilarious. They look completely dead, lose Jeffers, option Royce, call up half of St. Paul, then  win four of five. 

Baseball

Tis a cruel mistress.

[Vanimal46]

Fun game to watch. When I tuned in during the 3rd inning, I figured I would Abe Simpson circle out of the room.gif - No idea why Boston let Slaton out to dry but thanks!

Keep it going with the youth movement. Keaschall with a bounce back game. Gonzalez working the count every PA. 

[thelanges5]

Encouraging that they kept battling. Good bullpen performance. Like the team effort to pick up Prielipp. Hopefully he can flush and get back to what we saw the first five games. 

[soyouresayingtheresachance]

Rough night for Prielipp. Hope its just a hiccup and not a trend. 

Rough defense...again. 

Good 1st start for Gonzalez. Is Keaschall heating up? 

[mark allen]

bull pen wins another one

 

[DataNerd]

A couple weeks ago, it would have been hard to think of our bullpen winning games, but here we are.  I'm enjoying it while it lasts.

Travis Adams has been solid, probably has pitched well enough to keep him with the big league club for the time being.  Hopefully not the guy who gets send down for Bradley