Guardians 2, Twins 1: Long, Dry Rain Delay Begets Short, Dry Walkoff Loss

Box Score
SP: Chris Paddack 5 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (76 pitches, 47 strikes (62%)
Home Runs: Ty France (3)
Bottom 3 WPA: Louis Varland (-.367), Edouard Julien (-.165), Trevor Larnach (-.138)

Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) 

Chris Paddack entered Tuesday night's divisional battle winless on the season, and unable to last beyond five innings in any of his first six starts. Paddack's opponent, Tanner Bibee, had achieved a 2-2 record on the season, but likewise often fails to complete six full innings. With the Twins bullpen fully rested and the Guardians bullpen completely taxed, the advantage for the evening seemed to lean in favor of Minnesota. 

Three Up, Three Down
Bibee started the game by retiring the top of the Twins lineup in order, with Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa striking out in quick fashion. In fact, Bibee took down the first eleven men that he faced, with a Correa double with two out in the top of the fourth inning finally snapping the streak. 

Paddack also was rolling early, allowing only a single across the first two frames and keeping his pitch count under control compared to his previous outings. Paddack's run of success got turned around 108.8 mph to start the bottom of the third inning, however, when Bo Naylor took a gift fastball on a full count to the middle of the right field seats for a 1-0 early Guardians lead. Two batters later, Steven Kwan took Paddack deep into the right-field gap for what looked to be another extra-base hit. In case you didn't catch it on Saturday, though, Buxton plays out there, and he's Superman.

Buxton's amazing grab got amplified when Paddack allowed a single to the following batter, Gabriel Arias, thereby making that essentially a run-saving catch. Paddack got out of the threat, and finished five innings of four-hit baseball.

Ty France is Him
When Paddack left the game, he knew he wasn't going to take the hard-luck loss, because in the top of the fifth inning, France decided that a Bibee fastball should become a souvenir for some lucky fan in the right-center bleachers. All square at one apiece, thanks to this moonshot by France.

Bullpen Time... for the Twins, at Least
Paddack finished the fifth inning having only thrown 76 pitches, but it didn't matter. He was never going to see the sixth inning.

Instead, Brock Stewart took the hill and took care of business in the bottom of the sixth. While Bibee kept on cruising through the Twins lineup against anyone not named France (see top of the seventh for Kwan stealing a double away from the slugger and gunning him down at first in the process), the Twins' bullpen parade hit a brief hiccup in the bottom of the seventh when Griffin Jax got the early call yet again and surrendered a one-out double to Daniel Schneemann. What ensued were two filthy, filthy, filllllllllthy strikeouts of Naylor and Angel Martinez to end the threat and send us to the eighth still knotted up 1-1.

Who Flinches?
Cade Smith got the call for the top of the eighth, and he flinched a little. Christian Vázquez went the other way for a single with one out, and Buxton induced a two-out walk to put runners at first and second for Correa. Smith got Correa to fly out weakly on a 2-0 pitch, however, to put an end to the rally.

Jhoan Duran got the call to face the top of the Guardians order in the bottom of the eighth, and Kwan led off with an opposite-field shot of his own that went directly to the only man on that side of the diamond, new Twins All-Star candidate Jonah Bride. Arias struck out swinging, which set up the latest edition of "José Ramírez vs. Duran." 100+ mph of Duran took this edition, and to the ninth we journeyed, still tied up

All Good Games Must Come to an End
The Twins and Guardians entered the ninth inning each with a 50/50 chance of winning the game according to FanGraphs. The twenty or so fans still in attendance, and the 44 fans still watching at home wondered if we were headed to a Wednesday morning finish. Emmanuel Clase took the mound for the top of the ninth, and he made quick work of Trevor Larnach. Clase couldn't solve France, however, and the hittin' machine stopped at first base this time. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. came in to steal a base, but Naylor's arm wouldn't allow it. Threat neutralized, advantage Cleveland.

Louis Varland entered the bottom of the ninth inning with one goal: to make sure there would be a tenth inning. He failed. Kyle Manzardo took the third pitch that he saw out of the park for another Cleveland walk-off winner against the Twins.

Ugh.

What’s Next?
The Twins look to bounce back and re-take the advantage in this four-game series on Wednesday evening. Twins righty Pablo Lopez (2-1, 2.08 ERA) will make his second start following his short IL stint, and he will face fellow righty Luis Ortiz (2-3, 5.96 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 5:10pm CDT.

Postgame Interviews
Coming Soon!

Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet