Braves 6, Twins 2: The Braves Go Bomba Squad on Joe Ryan

Box Score
SP: Joe Ryan: 3 IP, 9 H, 6 ER, 0 BB, 5 K ( 82 pitches, 57 for strikes, 82 %)
Home Runs: None
Bottom 3 WPA: Ryan (-.400), Carlos Correa (-.132), Max Kepler (-.115)

Win Probability Chart (Via Fangraphs):

Joe Ryan came into tonight's game off of a complete game shutout versus the Tigers and 14 shutout innings overall. The Twins started off the top of the first inning with some base running and putting the ball in play. Byron Buxton ultimately collected the game's first RBI with a chopper to short, plating Carlos Correa for a 1-0 lead. Mathematically, Twins fans hoped that was all the offense needed tonight.

The Braves quickly erased that thought on the first pitch. Ronald Acuna Jr. continued his red-hot tear towards an MVP award by taking Ryan's opening fastball deep for a game-tying lead-off home run. Then Ozzie Albies tripled deep to right, and Austin Riley hit a two-run home run. Just for good measure, Sean Murphy hit a home run. Four fastballs, four runs, and 4-1 Braves after the first inning.

The Twins Threaten in the Second, but the Braves Deliver
In the top of the second, Joey Gallo went opposite field for a single, and thanks to some keystone cops throwing action started by Eddie Rosario, Gallo ended up at third base. He might have attempted to score, but with only one out, there wasn't a need to run themselves out of the threat. Except for the fact that this is the Twins' offense, Christian Vazquez promptly struck out on a few sinkers out of the zone, and Michael A. Taylor hit a weak pop-up to leave a still-exhausted Gallo standing on third base.

The Braves, however, found that they continued to enjoy Mr. Ryan's offerings on the evening. He tried breaking balls and change-ups this time, but the result was the same. Michael Harris II...gone. Ronald Acuna Jr...gone again. 6-1 Braves.

The Twins Need Someone to Step Up and Be Drano

The Twins clogged the bases in each of the first four innings. Bryce Elder issued four walks and handled several three-ball counts, while the Braves defense committed four errors in the opening frames. And yet, the Twins only managed to plate two runs. The strikeout continued to doom their offense, while, as Nick Nelson pointed out, their approach at the plate kept leaving the advantage to the pitcher.

The sixth and seventh innings involved offensive action again for the Twins, but double plays by Christian Vazquez and Correa unclogged the bases the wrong way, and the score remained 6-2 as the game headed into the eighth inning.

The Braves Appear to Be a Far Superior Team
On the other hand, the Braves appear to have no holes in the lineup. Errors existed aplenty, but so did run-saving web gems for the Atlanta defense. The Braves bullpen scattered four hits and a walk over the final three frames. They currently are a well-oiled machine, and the Twins got steamrolled by it again.

A fan who didn't watch either of the first two games might think that the Twins aren't that far away from the Braves, but these games weren't close. The players' mannerisms starkly contrasted, with the Braves appearing every bit the Alpha dog in the fight. Could the Twins steal a day game Wednesday? Perhaps, but this series exposes the gap between the elite and the division leaders with sub-.500 records.

What’s Next
Kenta Maeda (1-4, 6.86 ERA) looks to build off his last start, where he went five innings without giving up a run against the Tigers. As of 9pm CDT Tuesday, the Braves still need to reveal their starting pitcher plan for the series finale. The Twins "on the road" week marches on, .and the Twins are still searching for any redemptive reason for making the trip to Atlanta. First pitch is an early one, scheduled for 11:20pm CDT.

Postgame Interviews

Bullpen Usage Chart