Twins Video
Box Score
Starting Pitcher: Bailey Ober: 4 IP 11 H 6 ER 0 BB 5 K (90 Pitches, 60 Strikes, 66.6%)
Home Runs: Max Kepler (15)
Bottom 3 WPA: Carlos Correa (-.323), Bailey Ober (-.288), Jovani Moran (-.069)
Win Probability Chart (Via Fangraphs):
After last night's Bobby Witt-related heroics, the Twins needed a win in the worst way, and fate seemed to grace them in the form of the Royals' beleaguered journeyman starter, Jordan Lyles. Lyles came into play with a 1-12 record that somehow overstates his 6.19 ERA. He pitched well against the Twins in his first start of the year, going 5 1/3 innings and allowing one earned run. The Twins got revenge in late April, tagging him for seven runs over four innings. Let's just say today's tilt split the difference.
Opposing Lyles was Bailey Ober, who has quietly become the Twins' most reliable starter (if not their best). Ober's ability to not have a bad start has been a godsend given the increasing amount of clunkers turned in by Sonny Gray, Pablo Lopez and Joe Ryan. Unfortunately, all things must come to an end.
The night started just as last night ended, with a Witt home run, this time on a hanging 3-2 slider from Ober. Twins pitchers would do well to stop waking up elite prospects in their sophomore year after Julio Rodriguez almost single-handedly cost the Twins their previous series with the Mariners. Unfortunately, Witt and the Royals weren't done.
The offense appeared to get to work in the top of the second on a Max Kepler leadoff double. After a sacrifice fly and a Byron Buxton hit-by-pitch, Matt Wallner lifted a lazy fly ball to the opposite field. Converted catcher M.J. Melendez fired a strike to home to nab Kepler, but the Twins challenged that catcher Salvador Perez was blocking the plate. You be the judge, but Perez's actions seemed a lot more egregious than those of Gary Sanchez last year against Toronto. The call stood, however, and the Twins lost their challenge.
That proved pivotal, as Ober was picked apart in the second inning. After Michael Massey ambushed an Ober fastball for a home run, Kyle Isbel bunted towards an out-of-position (in two ways) Jorge Polanco, resulting in an easy base hit. A hit-by-pitch, misplayed fly ball and sacrifice fly followed, which brought up Witt again, and naturally he singled up the middle (with an 0-2 count) to push the score to 4-0.
Undeterred, the Royals added two more runs in the third on a horrendous little squibber from Isbell that snuck through the drawn in infield, ending Ober's impressive streak of allowing four runs or less in seventeen consecutive starts. Ober's streak of 21 starts in a row of five innings pitched or more also came to an end when Jordan Balazovic relieved him to start the bottom of the fifth.
The Twins did manage to load the bases in the fourth inning with no outs, and cashed in three runs on a Polanco grounder and two-run double from Byron Buxton. (his first of three doubles on the night) The inning was set up by the usual suspects; Edouard Julien (single), Alex Kirilloff (single) and Max Kepler (walk) all worked excellent at-bats to give the Twins life.
Lyles pitched around a leadoff walk in the fifth (to Willi Castro of all people), but the top of the order couldn't break through any further, allowing Lyles to exit in line for the win (his second all year). The Twins threatened that lead in the sixth, as Kepler homered, Buxton doubled, and Christian Vazquez drove in Buxton with a single to make the score 6-5. The inning could have really gone sideways had Correa, batting with the bases loaded, one out and facing a pitcher with an ERA over ten, not grounded into an inning ending double play.
For those that believe in momentum, well, it swung after that. Jordan Balazovic allowed hits to Witt and Perez that resulted in a run in the sixth, and Jovani Moran continued to struggle, allowing an RBI triple to Drew Waters in the seventh before Josh Winder relieved him and allowed a single and a Witt triple to push the deficit back to five runs.
The lineup made one final push in the eighth, with an RBI groundout from Vazquez and a single from Willi Castro scoring a second run. After Correa singled, the tying run would be at the plate in the form of Julien.. well it would have except Castro was thrown out trying to advance to third, a risky bet with absolutely no payoff even if he had reached safely.
The good:
Buxton has not been retired since he returned from the paternity list, with three doubles to boot.
Kepler had a homer, a double and a key walk in the fourth. His OPS is up to .744.
The bad:
Ober had a truly bad start for the first time since last May, and Moran looks like he may need some time in Triple-A.
Correa grounded into his league-leading 20th double play.
What’s Next: Kenta Maeda (2-5, 4.62 ERA) tries to salvage the series opposing the Royals' Ryan Yarbrough (3-5, 4.70 ERA)
Postgame Interviews:
Bullpen Usage Chart:
| TUE | WED | THU | FRI | SAT | TOT | |
| Winder | 0 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 76 |
| Balazovic | 0 | 32 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 65 |
| Pagán | 19 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 37 |
| Morán | 14 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 11 | 34 |
| Floro | 18 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 27 |
| Durán | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 25 |
| Jax | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
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