Twins 11, Angels 4: Offensive Explosion Backs Pablo's Return to the Rotation

Box Score
Starting Pitcher: Pablo López: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Home Runs: Byron Buxton (6), Trevor Larnach (4)
Top 3 WPA: Trevor Larnach (.202), Pablo López (.099), Byron Buxton (.090)
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)

Fresh off (mostly) beating up on the White Sox, Minnesota entered Friday with the opportunity to collect wins against another meager opponent: the Angels. Certainly, The Other LA Team presents as a more formidable foe than Chicago—the target to beat is the floor—but their habitual mediocrity in recent years makes for a far less intimidating opponent than most. Can the Twins make the most of their matchup?

Healthy once again, Pablo López started for the Twins for the first time since April 8th. The timing couldn’t have been better: Minnesota had oscillated from sluggish to uninspiring in performance, often appearing content with their dull outcomes. López didn’t dominate with overpowering stuff like we’ve seen—he battled command, and his defense all game—but he did enough to keep his team competitive before walking off the mound. 

The Angels countered with Kyle Hendricks. The Cubs icon, once a youngster with veteran touch; now a veteran with youngster touch, still offers his usual selection of tricky sinkers, floating changeups, and impossibly tall curveballs. 

The team exchanged opening runs—the Twins off a Carlos Correa sacrifice fly; the Angels via a Jo Adell RBI single—before the game grew legs and took off. And with great haste. One of those skyscraping breakers found itself in the middle of the strike zone, perfectly placed for Byron Buxton to demolish the pitch for a solo homer. 

Two batters later, Trevor Larnach cracked a double into the right-center gap to plate a third run. 

Then the dam broke.

The inning started walk, single, walk. Which brought Ron Washington to debate replacing his starter. No, he determined. Hendricks is fine. One final walk scored a run and ended the 35-year-old’s night, perhaps a batter later than it should have. Buxton tacked on a sacrifice fly. Mickey Gasper fought off a high-and-inside offering, slashing it beyond the shortstop’s reach for the team’s sixth run of the night. Then, with two men on, Larnach strolled up to the plate, observed a first-pitch curve fall in for a strike, and smoked the next delivery 110.6 MPH over the towering wall in right-center. Nine runs. In four innings. Can you believe it?

Now pitching with a significant lead, López finished his night softly, but nonetheless successful. Mike Trout guided an RBI grounder into right field to stain the Venezuelan’s ledger with a second run before López whiffed Taylor Ward to conclude his fifth inning of work.

The next few innings were a seesaw in baseball form. The Twins would score; then the Angels would answer back. Runs scored. ERAs ballooned. Great stress and annoyance struck various pitchers, but the ultimate reality never changed; Minnesota still commanded the lead—and by a significant margin. 

The game reached its inevitable conclusion when Justin Topa caught Trout staring at a sinker that split the heart of the plate. 

Notes
Luke Keaschall exited the game following a hit by pitch in his first plate appearance. More information regarding his status will be provided when known. 

Byron Buxton hit his 139th career home run, good for 15th place in Twins history. He is two away from tying Michael Cuddyer.

Mickey Gasper earned his first career MLB extra-base hit.

Pablo López struck out his 452nd batter in a Twins uniform, the 31st-most in team history. He is 14 away from tying Tyler Duffey.

Edouard Julien set an MLB career-high with four walks. Perhaps related, the Twins forced a career-high five walks from Kyle Hendricks. 

Post-Game Interview:

What’s Next?
The Twins and Angels will return Saturday for the second of their three-game series. Simeon Woods Richardson will start opposite Yusei Kikuchi. First pitch is at 1:10 PM.

Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet