Twins 6, White Sox 4: Jeffers Blast Completes Twins Comeback Victory

[Steven Trefz]

Image courtesy of Matt Marton, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Box Score
SP: Taj Bradley - 5.0 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 6 K (80 pitches, 52 strikes (65%))
Home Runs: Ryan Jeffers (14)
Top 3 WPA: Jeffers (0.25), Jeff Hoffman (0.12), Kody Funderburk & Yeondrys Gomez (0.09)

Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) 

The Twins hadn't won on a Saturday since July 25th, and they lost the season series and any hopes of the AL Central division to the White Sox on Friday night. They faced a tough left-handed starter in Anthony Kay, and needed a victory to keep any mirage of a chance in the Wild Card race. Taj Bradley was tasked with starting strong and keeping hope alive for one more day. Something had to give on Saturday night in the South Side of Chicago, who would it be?

Bradley Bends First

The Twins started the game off quietly in order against Kay in the top of the first, but the White Sox were loud in their half of the inning. Bradley gave up a leadoff walk to Sam Antonacci, and two batters later he gave up a fly ball to Munetaka Murakami that would have been an out in 25 ballparks across the league. Unfortunately at Rate Field, it scraped the back of the left field wall to put the Twins in a 2-0 hole for his 30th homer of the year. That might have been bad luck on a good pitch, but two batters later Bradley grooved an 0-2 cutter down the middle, and Colson Montgomery launched his 31st homer of the year. Just like that, the Twins were facing an uphill battle yet again. 

Kay Breaks Eventually

The Twins failed to log a hit in the first three innings, but the newly minted number two hitter Kaelen Culpepper took care of that to lead off the fourth with a single. Ryan Jeffers went down looking, but Josh Bell went down and roped a double to the gap in left to put runners on second and third with one out. After failing yet again Friday night with runners in scoring position, the White Sox probably felt like they had the Twins right where they wanted them. Royce Lewis didn't get a hit, but he refused to swing outside the zone, and he took his walk, moving the responsibility/opportunity down the line. Kody Clemens delivered the first Twins run of the game with a fielder's choice grounder and some good hustle. Brooks Lee batted right-handed, and stayed on a low fastball with two strikes to golf a double down the left field line. Bell came home to make it a 3-2 game, but that's where the rally ended.

Until the top of the fifth, that is. That's when Ryan Kreidler took one (barely) for the team off of his elbow guard, and Luke Keaschall laced a single to right. Culpepper exchanged places by getting Kreidler tagged out on a grounder to third. Miguel Vargas cried foul (and in pain) as he smacked Kreidler's helmet in a throw attempt to first. After a short delay, Ryan Jeffers almost dented a human in the left field bleachers. 5-3 Minnesota!

 

 

Bell laced another single up the middle, and that chased Kay as the White Sox continue to operate their games as if they are actually still in a playoff race. Kay's night was over in the fifth, and the stingy Chicago bullpen took over.

Bradley Gives Little, Then a Little
After Montgomery's blast in the first, Bradley more than settled down. He put the White Sox on lockdown, retiring the next 10 batters that he faced. Now staked to a two-run lead, Taj immediately lost that streak when Chase Meidroth accelerated a 98-mph fastball back up the middle for a leadoff single. Bradley got the next two men, but Meidroth snuck his way to second base on a spiked offspeed pitch. Antonacci walked, and suddenly Vargas was up as the go-ahead run in a story that Twins fans had watched too many times to be funny anymore.

Vargas delivered, but luckily for Bradley and the Twins it was only a run-scoring single. Taj struck out the dangerous Murakami on a heater, and the Twins escaped the fifth inning still ahead at 5-4. Apparently the Twins are acting like they are in a playoff race too, as Derek Shelton pulled Bradley after only 80 pitches after five innings. Taj got burned early, held the line in the middle, and escaped late but left in line for the win if the Twins bullpen could keep the Chicago bats silent.

The Bullpen Battle Winner Is...?
Kody Funderburk held the line in the bottom of the sixth thanks to some slick catches from Keaschall in right. 

 

Then Culpepper added some insurance in the next inning. After missing a booming home run off of an off-speed pitch by mere feet on the wrong side of the left field foul pole, Kaelen stayed with a 96 mph fastball and deposited it down the right field line for a 6-4 Twins lead.

 

Jeff Hoffman got the next four outs. A.J. Minter struck out the dangerous Murakami but surrendered a two-out double to Randal Grichuk to put the tying run, named Montgomery Colson, in the batter's box in the bottom of the eighth. The Twins added Minter at the trade deadline to get quality left-handed batters out in close games, and 95-mph of high cheese later, that is what he did. The game migrated into the ninth inning with the Twins still nursing a 6-4 advantage. 

The Twins couldn't push across any more insurance, so it was up to Yoendrys Gomez to lock down the ninth and to win back what was lost yesterday in the playoff race. Lewis dug out a Lee throw for out number one, Gomez swept away Meidroth on three pitches, and Lewis let the third out peacefully fall down into his glove for a well-earned victory.

What’s Next?

The Twins look to take their first series on the road since July 5 at Yankee Stadium. Twins righty Bailey Ober (7-4, 4.37 ERA) looks to deliver his second quality start against the South Siders in a week, after taking a no-decision last Saturday on one run over five frames. The White Sox have yet to name their starter for the last game of the season series. First pitch is scheduled for 5:20pm CDT, and will require a Peacock/NBCSN to watch from the comforts of your devices.

Postgame Interviews

Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet

	TUE	WED	THU	FRI	SAT	TOT
Acton	39	0	0	18	0	57
Funderburk	0	29	0	0	11	40
Minter	0	17	0	0	18	35
Nance	0	33	0	0	0	33
Hoffman	0	12	0	0	17	29
Morris	29	0	0	0	0	29
Rogers	0	7	0	19	0	26
Gomez	0	15	0	0	7	22
Adams	9	3	0	0	0	12

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[soyouresayingtheresachance]

Nice win. 

Let's do it again tomorrow. 

[Blyleven2011]

Gotta say this team has some fight in them …

last years team and the year before , if they had a deficit in the first few innings , they were already thinking what’s for dinner and they definitely weren’t the comeback kids …

this season has been good and with new optimism for next season batting keaschall and Culpepper 1 and 2 will definitely be an improvement for some years to come …

the 2026 twins definitely have some fight in them , it was a good comeback to win 6-4 with pitching , clutch hits and good defense ,,,

[Parfigliano]

So much easier to win when the relief pitching doesn't get whacked around like a piñata.

[Permanent Twins Fan]

Let's win tomorrow and be done with Chicago for the season. Take 2 of 3 from Detroit and Cleveland and you are likely within 2 or 3 games of the wild card with 7 against the Angels and Giants still to go. There is little to no margin for error, but if the Twins can get hot they can get in. I liked what Josh Bell said in the post game radio interview today. He basically said (Paraphrasing Here) that they know that they will have to get really hot to get into the playoffs, but if they do they will be entering the playoffs as one of the hottest team in baseball. 

[LastOnePicked]

Honestly, I'm gonna miss Ryan Jeffers. He's a special ballplayer. I doubt the Twins will put up a real fight for him, but they should at least extend the qualifying offer.

Culpepper is impressive. Bradley was resilient. Keaschall has grit. Hoffman should be pitching for a playoff team.

If you gave this team a top-tier starter and a slugging 1B in free agency, you might have something. If you don't, it's just going to be a lot of good-to-decent little pieces without much chance of putting it all together.

[RpR]

[SE23]

16 minutes ago, LastOnePicked said:

Honestly, I'm gonna miss Ryan Jeffers. He's a special ballplayer. I doubt the Twins will put up a real fight for him, but they should at least extend the qualifying offer.

Culpepper is impressive. Bradley was resilient. Keaschall has grit. Hoffman should be pitching for a playoff team.

If you gave this team a top-tier starter and a slugging 1B in free agency, you might have something. If you don't, it's just going to be a lot of good-to-decent little pieces without much chance of putting it all together.

Agree. Keep Jeffers, if possible. (Get the draft pick if not). I'm ready to roll next spring if we sign Luis Arraez and Yandy Diaz in the off season. Trade Lewis, Larnach and a little prospect capital for a pitcher or two.

The only prospects on my Do Not Trade list are Erod, Mendez, Houston, Quick, Diaw, Lackey and Tait...