Twins 3, Angels 0: Connor Prielipp Dominates in Shutout Win

[Matt Braun]

Image courtesy of Gary A. Vasquez - IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Box Score
Connor Prielipp: 7 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
Home Runs: Walker Jenkins (3)
Top 3 WPA: Connor Prielipp (.410), Walker Jenkins (.110), Brooks Lee (.090)
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)

An aimless wandering; an exploration of parts unknown; the playing out of a season whose finality is understood and sealed. Though postseason hopes are stale and dead, the games ahead are an important test, allowing youngsters to prove that they can be a part of future solutions needed to fix current problems. How will that play out? We shall see.

Matters started with the predictable: a Luke Keaschall hit by pitch, his 22nd of the year, a new Twins single-season record. A Brooks Lee single advanced our well-bludgeoned protagonist to third, and he was soon cut down at home on a Kody Clemens fielder’s choice. So it goes. The play sent Lee to third and Clemens to second, turning a well-struck Ryan Jeffers liner into a sacrifice fly, with Lee racing home. A Josh Bell single clanked off Mike Trout’s glove coaxed in a second run. 

The runs put Connor Prielipp in a great position to start, and he responded with vigor, punching out the side in order to start the game.

Indeed, this was a game for pitchers. Bats entered with caution. Angels starter Grayson Rodriguez found a deep, dominating groove, only once allowing a runner to reach second until the seventh, as run-scoring attempts fell meagerly and rallies were squashed before they could begin. 

Prielipp was up for the battle, though, as he had tricks of his own against an impotent Angels lineup. Scattered baserunners in the second, third, and fourth portended nothing; he punched out two in a 1-2-3 fifth to right his efficiency ways. Zach Neto nearly lifted one of the lefty’s signature breaking balls out to left for a solo homer, but Emmanuel Rodriguez saw the sky-scraping shot the entire way, and cleanly robbed the shortstop of a home run. Thank god for short walls.

The robbing perhaps ignited something in a stale Twins offense, as Walker Jenkins blasted a solo homer in the next half-inning. The shot was his sixth straight hit, and the second long ball in that span.

Prielipp re-took the mound in the seventh with a regal elegance—and with a career benchmark on the line. The lefty had previously never crossed the six-inning threshold as a starter. It stood like the mighty walls of Jericho, blocking all attempts to pass. And here Prielipp stood, armed with metaphoric instruments and a mandate to go beyond the standard he had previously set for himself. Denzer Guzman flew out at the warning track. Oswald Peraza, struck out swinging. Then Travis d’Arnaud stared at three straight strikes to conclude the evening for Prielipp, the new owner of a career-high in innings pitched in a single game. 

Tommy Nance loaded the bases in the eighth but escaped unscathed. Travis Adams traveled a simpler route in the ninth, earning three quick outs to earn his third save of the season, and to end a firmly successful day for the Twins. 

Notes:

Post-Game Interview:

What’s Next?
The Twins and Angels continue their late-night show excursions on Saturday, with first pitch coming at 8:38 PM. Joe Ryan is set to start against Reid Detmers. 

Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet

	MON	TUE	WED	THU	FRI	TOT
Nance	22	0	14	0	23	59
Morris	11	30	0	13	0	54
Minter	18	0	22	14	0	54
Gomez	0	10	24	18	0	52
Adams	0	0	34	0	10	44
Rogers	0	38	0	0	0	38
Hoffman	13	0	16	5	0	34
Funderburk	3	0	4	1	0	8

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[ashbury]

With career Save #3, Travis Adams moves into a tie for 80th most in Minnesota Twins history. 

[Parfigliano]

26 minutes ago, ashbury said:

With career Save #3, Travis Adams moves into a tie for 80th most in Minnesota Twins history. 

No stopping him now.

[AceWrigley]

1 hour ago, ashbury said:

With career Save #3, Travis Adams moves into a tie for 80th most in Minnesota Twins history. 

I had no idea he was that close.

[AceWrigley]

E8 on that play Trout dropped. How the heck is that a hit?

[AceWrigley]

Kudos to Nance for getting out of the jam in the 8th but that was not a fun inning. I wonder how many game watchers/listeners were flinging choice words at their device during THAT.

[AceWrigley]

Congrats to Connor Prielipp for a pretty good rookie season. I didn't think he'd make it through the whole season due to innings limit or arm issues but he held up well and no late season slump. Impressive.

[AceWrigley]

I'll bet there's some butt puckering in Chicago and Philadelphia now that San Diego has tied them for a post season birth. Only 2 can go.

[PuckettPond]

Connor will be an All Star next season.

[mnfireman]

2 hours ago, AceWrigley said:

Congrats to Connor Prielipp for a pretty good rookie season. I didn't think he'd make it through the whole season due to innings limit or arm issues but he held up well and no late season slump. Impressive.

3-0 record, 2.70 ERA, 24/4 K/BB, 1 HR allowed, over his last 5 appearances (including tonight) covering 26.2 IP