Angels 6, Twins 5: A Roller Coaster of a Game Ends in Defeat

Box Score 
SP: Joe Ryan - 5 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K (99 pitches, 66 strikes (66.7% strikes))
Bottom 3 WPA (via Fangraphs): Yoendrys Gómez (-0.32), Royce Lewis (-0.32), A.J. Minter (-0.30)
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs): 

After splitting the first two games of the series, the Twins and Angels both sent All-Stars to the mound, with the Twins turning to Joe Ryan and the Angels sending lefty Reid Detmers to the mound.

The Angels got a couple runners on in the first inning but were unable to scratch a run across after Ryan gave up a single and hit a batter before getting out of danger with a fly out to left field to keep the game scoreless.

In the second inning, both teams got a two-out hit, but were unable to get a rally going, as both Ryan and Detmers got the next hitter to end their respective innings on the mound. 

Unfortunately, the Twins lost ball-strike challenges in both the top and bottom halves of the second inning, which left them without a challenge for the entirety of the game. 

The Twins were the first ones to get on the scoreboard. With Walker Jenkins on second base, Luke Keaschall switched places with him. 

With Zach Neto and Mike Trout getting on base, Joe Ryan did his best tightrope act getting a flyout and an inning-ending double play to keep the score at 2-0. 

In the top of the fourth inning, the Twins extended their lead on a Victor Caratini two-out single to score Brooks Lee, giving the Twins a three -run lead. 

In the bottom half of the inning, Ryan attempted to pitch around runners on base for the fourth inning in a row, but the Angels lineup finally got to him on a home run off the bat of center fielder Jose Siri which cut the Twins lead to 3-2. 

Ryan Kreidler must have been feeling left out. The Twins shortstop led off the fifth inning with a home run on the first pitch of the inning. 

In the bottom of the fifth, the Angels got a couple more runners on base but were not able to get the hit when they needed it, keeping the score at 4-2. 

Each team got runners on base in the next couple of innings, but the score didn’t change until the top of the eighth, when Cartini came through for the second time in the game, with a one-out RBI single, scoring pinch runner Ben Ross to give the Twins an insurance run and a 5-2 lead. 

The Angels offense made some noise in the bottom of the eighth, most notably from pinch hitter Adam Frazier, who doubled in two runs with one out off struggling reliever Yoendrys Gómez.

Derek Shelton turned to Kody Funderburk to get out of the jam. He came in with runners on first and second and one out to face Mike Trout. Funderburk proceeded to get Trout to ground into an inning-ending double play, holding the Twins lead heading into the final inning. 

A.J. Minter came in to close the game and got the first batter of the inning. Unfortunately, he was not able to close the game out. Vaughn Grissom was able to lift one into the seats in right center tying the game at five. 

Minter was able to get out of the inning with the game still tied, sending the Twins and Angels to extra innings, for the second time in the series. 

In the top of the 10th inning, Ben Ross was the Manfred Man. Brooks Lee was able to line out to right field, deep enough for Ross to reach third base with one out. The next batter, Royce Lewis, lifted a ball to shallow right field. Ben Ross tagged up, but Josh Lowe threw him out trying to score the go-ahead run. 

In the bottom of the inning, Lowe was not able to get the job done, bunting a 2-2 pitch from Taylor Rogers foul for the strikeout. The Twins decided to intentionally walk Jose Siri. The Angels pinch-hit Oswaldo Peraza against Taylor Rogers. With Peraza batting, the Angels executed a double steal, which made it appear the Angels would scratch across the winning run.

However, Rogers struck out Peraza to set up a showdown with Zach Neto with two outs and runners on second and third. Rogers won the battle, striking out Neto to send the game into the 11th inning. 

The Twins were unable to score in the top of the 11th off of reliever Tayler Saucedo, giving the Angels another opportunity to walk it off in the bottom of the inning. 

The Twins wisely walked Trout to start the inning, and Rogers, who went back out to pitch his second inning, was able to get Wade Meckler to fly out to right for the first out of the inning. Unfortunately, Rogers hit Vaughn Grissom on an 0-2 count to load the bases.

Derek Shelton came out to the mound and subbed in Kody Clemens for Walker Jenkins to have a five-man infield. 

Rogers struck out Moises Ballesteros for the second out, but the game ended with the next pitch, with Christian Moore hitting a ground ball back up the middle, which went off of Rogers and stopped in no man's land between the mound, home plate and third base and the Angels walked off the Twins for a 6-5 win in 11 innings. 

Post Game Interview

What’s Next?
The Twins will finish the series against the Angels tomorrow for the series finale. The pitching matchup will have the Twins send Dean Kremer (3-5, 5.35 ERA) to the mound while the Angels will send RHP Ryan Johnson (5-8, 4.88 ERA).

Kremer is coming off of two solid starts, against the Tigers and Yankees. Against Detroit, he threw five innings, giving up two earned runs while striking out three and against the Yankees, he threw 5 2/3 innings, giving up one run and striking out five. 

After the series finale tomorrow, the Twins will finish their final road trip of the year with three against the San Francisco Giants before finishing the season with a three-game series at home against the Texas Rangers. 

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