Twins Video
Shoemaker: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
Home Runs: Buxton (5)
Bottom 3 WPA: Colomé -.748, Cave -.078, Kepler -.052
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs):
Arraez and Buxton Continue Torrid Starts
The Twins were aggressive early with Mariners’ starter Chris Flexen as he threw only 11 pitches in the first inning, but faced six Twins batters, allowing three hard hit singles, and a line drive sacrifice fly” to Nelson Cruz. Flexen responded by leaning on his off speed more, but the Twins offense continued to hit. They added three additional runs in the third, and then Byron Buxton hit a two-run, 428-foot shot to center field that, based on his body language, he seemed to think was going to stay in the park in the bottom of the fifth. The home run was his fifth of the season and his second extra-base hit of the day.
https://twitter.com/twins/status/1381344020195119105?s=21
The Twins only other threat of the day came in the bottom of the seventh inning where they had Miguel Sanó and Max Kepler on 1st and 2nd base, respectively, with two outs but a Jake Cave ground out ended the inning.
Matt Shoemaker Cruises Through Five Innings
Right out of the gates, Shoemaker struggled to find the zone hitting the second batter of the game and issuing a five-pitch walk to the third batter, Kyle Seager. He escaped that jam and proceeded to throw strikes at a 67% clip, striking out five Mariners, and allowing no runs between innings two and five. Then came the sixth, where he started hanging breaking balls and the middle of the Mariners lineup was banging breaking balls. It started with a solo shot from Seager, then a José Marmolejos double that was just a few feet from being gone, and then Taylor Trammell made it a 6-4 game with a three-run bomb of his own. Regardless, Shoemaker was likely done for the day as he was nearing 100 pitches anyway but home plate umpire Manny Gonzalez made sure of it by ejecting Shoemaker for saying “freaking”... I guess.
https://twitter.com/tftwins/status/1381339017791201282?s=21
Alex Colomé Implodes ... Again
Stashak relieved Shoemaker, and despite struggling with command, was able to shut down Mariners in the sixth and was pulled after hitting France to start the seventh. He was followed by Caleb Thielbar, who allowed one-run on a fielder's choice, and Hansel Robles who pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning. Twins fans were ... uhhh … ”treated” to the Alex Colomé Experience in the ninth where he allowed back-to-back singles to the first two batters and then a three-run blast to Seager, which was his second of the day.
https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1381358314727088128?s=20
Colomé did record an out on a deep fly ball, but then allowed another single before being pulled in favor of Jorge Alcala making his third appearance of the spring who closed out the inning unscathed.
Postgame Interview
https://twitter.com/BallySportsNOR/status/1381368876999528450
Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet








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