MIN 15, TEX 6: Offense Erupts and Perez Faces Former Team

Box Score

Starter: 6 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 62.8% strikes (59 of 94 pitches)

Bullpen: 3 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Home Runs: Arraez (2), Polanco (12), Schoop (14), Garver (13)

Multi-Hit Games: Kepler (2-4, BB), Polanco (2-5, HR), Garver (2-4, 2B, HR, BB), Gonzalez (3-4, 2 2B, HR), C.J. Cron (2-5, 2 2B), Arraez (2-5, HR), Schoop (3-5, 2B, HR), Buxton (2-5, 2 2B)

Top 3 WPA: Perez .125, Arraez .091, Buxton .081

Twins’ Offense Erupts

After a quick first inning by Adrian Sampson that included two strikeouts, the Twins batted around in the second with eight hits, six of them being extra-base hits to score six runs. Five of those runs were scored with two outs in the inning.

https://twitter.com/Twins/status/1147342674988605441

In the second inning there clearly wasn’t enough damage to Sampson, as the Rangers left him out there for the third and fourth. After getting five straight outs, Sampson gave up three straight hits, and another run to end his night after giving up seven runs on 11 hits over 3 1/3 innings. Schoop extended the Twins lead to nine on a two-run shot in the fifth to really put this game out of reach.

After a little comeback by the Rangers in the seventh, the offense felt the game getting a little too close for comfort and put up a three spot in response. Garver hit a solo shot for the team’s 166th home run of the season, extending their MLB-record of most home runs hit before the All-Star Break. Schoop's third extra-base hit of the night grabbed two more RBIs to get the lead back to seven.

The Twins’ offense combined for a season-high 20 hits, 15 runs, club-tying 13 extra base hits, four home runs, and every batter had at least one hit!

Perez Battles Old Team

Martin Perez got his first start tonight against his old team after spending his first seven seasons with the Rangers. This was definitely a game Perez wanted to start, seeing some familiar faces and trying to gain bragging rights against some of his old buddies.

Perez had all the fun in his first six innings but ran into trouble before exiting the game in the seventh. Perez gave up just four hits in those first six innings with the first three of them being weak singles with exit velocities of 69.8, 84.1, and 76.7, respectively.

The seventh inning is where Perez ran into trouble, and it started with a walk. A leadoff walk was exactly what got things started in his last start when he gave up two runs in the second inning to the Tampa Bay Rays.

Tonight, the leadoff walk was a little more detrimental, though the offense gave Perez room to work. Following the walk, Perez gave up three straight hits for two runs which ended his night. He was responsible for two more runs as Harper wasn’t able to get out of a second and third no-out jam.

Middle Infielders Shine

When talking about this team’s highlight-reel defense, it usually has to do with Buxton and making some ridiculous catch look easy. Tonight, it was the middle infielders who rose above the rest.

The first highlight-reel play was courtesy of Polanco, Schoop, and Cron’s first double play of the night. Choo grounded a ball towards the middle but Polanco grabbed it out of the air with his glove, didn’t even bother using his other hand, flipped it to Schoop who gunned it to Cron to end the inning.

Schoop tried to top Polanco’s acrobatic play the next inning when he made a running backhand stop and delivered a bullet to Cron for the third out. Just when the Rangers thought they had a threat, Polanco and Schoop combined with Cron again for an inning-ending double play.

Postgame With Baldelli

https://twitter.com/fsnorth/status/1147370125357490179

Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet

Click here for a review of the number of pitches thrown by each member of the bullpen over the past five days.