Twins Video
Box Score
SP: Pablo Lopez 7 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K (96 pitches, 75 strikes (78%))
Home Runs: Trevor Larnach 2 (14), Matt Wallner (9)
Top 3 WPA: Pablo Lopez (.257), Trevor Larnach (.252), Austin Martin (.042)
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)
Pablo Lopez took the mound opposing former Twins pitcher and friend Sonny Gray. Carlos Santana got a rare day off with Jose Miranda taking over at first base. While the team is very familiar with Gray and his arsenal, it will be their first time facing him since not re-signing him in free agency last offseason.
Lopez wasted no time setting the tone with a quick inning, giving way to the Twins lineup to set the same tone. But Gray answered and reminded the Twins of who he was by ending the inning for the Twins with a nearly immaculate inning.
The Cardinals continued to threaten in the top of the third as Lopez’s pitch count climbed. Victor Scott II hit a line drive double. Masyn Winn laid down a beautiful bunt. He was fast, but Lopez was faster, throwing to Miranda to get the out. However, the sac-bunt did its job to get Scott II 90 feet closer to home. With Alec Burleson at-bat and the run to home looming, Christian Vasquez threw a nasty pick-off to third baseman Royce Lewis to get the second out, and then Lopez struck out Burleson for the third out. Plays like this show just how solid the Twins' defense is and how smart Vasquez is behind the plate.
Once the Twins settled in, they started to get hard contact on the ball in the third inning, starting with a double by Austin Martin and a walk to Willi Castro. Trevor Larnach followed with a three-run home run, giving the Twins the lead 3-0. The Cardinals pitching coach came to talk to Gray to calm him down, which didn't work. Lewis and Matt Wallner reached base on singles which meant five Twins reached base in a row. Lewis came home on a Max Kepler fielder's choice giving the Twins a 4-0 lead.
Lopez struggled a bit off and on throughout the night, but managed to get out of the innings with no damage. In the top of the fifth, Lopez slowed down a bit and lost command, striking out the first batter, but allowing the next two on base. Vasquez took a moment to talk to his pitcher, then took a foul ball to the mask, leaving a small nick on the bridge of his nose, but he got right back into the game and helped Lopez get out of the inning unscathed.
Larnach looked lost during his first at-bat with Gray, but it only took one time of seeing him to learn. Larnach launched his second home run of the game off of Gray in the fifth inning, and it was the first time Larnach had a multi-home run game. It gave the Twins another bump in their lead to 5-0.
Lopez finished with seven shutout innings, with five runs of insurance. He left the bullpen to come in and close out the game.
Griffin Jax came out of the 'pen for the 8th inning and maintained the shutout. The Twins offense got another chance to add some runs before the closer came in. Wallner hit a 430-foot bomb to centerfield. It was on the first pitch of Cardinals reliever Kyle Leahy, pushing the lead 6-0. Since returning to the big leagues, Wallner has had the highest barrel rate of any hitter in the big leagues since July 23. 2% ahead of Aaron Judge and Juan Soto of the Yankees.
With a scoreless inning from Jhoan Duran, who hasn't pitched a game since the weekend, was a welcome way to end the the game.
What’s Next?
The Twins continue with the Cardinals in the last game of the series with rookie Zebby Matthews (1-1; 3.60 ERA) taking the bump against Erick Fedde (8-7; 3.39 ERA) at 12:10 pm central, in hopes to secure the series before hosting the Braves starting on Monday.
Postgame Interviews
Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet
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