Twins 2, Mariners 0: Twins Shut Out Mariners to End Losing Streak

Box Score
SP: Joe Ryan - 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K (93 pitches, 61 strikes (59%))
Home Runs: Kody Clemens (9)
Top 3 WPA: Joe Ryan (.350); Willi Castro (.125); Louis Varland (.094)
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)

The Twins pitching staff has been dismal throughout the month. It seems like in every game, there is a situation where a pitcher struggles and runs up their pitch count in some untenable way, or serves up meatballs and watches opponents feast, giving the offense a Herculean task trying to pull out a win. 

Joe Ryan started Wednesday night against Seattle, though, and although he needed 41 pitches to get through the first two innings, he seemed mostly in control. His appearance in the third was much quicker and better, getting out with only 10 pitches and no Mariners runs. This was the first time this series that the pitching staff has kept the Mariners from scoring in the first three innings. 

All things being equal, the Mariners also kept the Twins from making any progress at all. Seattle has been exceptional of late. Everything about the Mariners has been firing on all cylinders this season. Since 2022, they have continued to be a postseason threat, and until Houston’s most recent run, they were first in the American League West. They still look like a team who can hang around in that race

The Twins, who climbed the standings in May and were able to stay above .500 for three weeks, are more of an enigma. All the parts are there, it seems, but if the pitching is great, they don’t get runs. If the pitching is off and giving up a lot of runs, they get runs, but not enough to win.

Ryan has been the closest thing to a steady presence in the run prevention corps this month, and that continued Wednesday. The only issue was his high pitch count. He saw 93 pitches by the sixth inning, but he also struck out Cal Raleigh three times, which is half the battle against Seattle. Raleigh is a menace at the plate against the Twins. He’s had a home run against the Twins in the past five games the two teams have played, and entered Wednesday night on a torrid streak overall. 

Ryan gave up a hit to Randy Arozarena in the fourth, but Christian Vázquez cut down Arozarena on a steal attempt. That nipped the biggest threat the Mariners might have mounted all night in the bud. An error by Ty France put Luke Raley on first base, but Ryan shut down the inning by striking out Donovan Solano. Ryan was exactly what the Twins needed him to be Wednesday night: a stopper.

The game remained scoreless, until Byron Buxton happened. Buxton got his first hit of the night in the bottom of the sixth, and continued to take large leads during Trevor Larnach’s at-bat, putting pressure on Mariners pitcher George Kirby. When Larnach hit a might-have-been double-play ball to the right side, Buxton was already in motion, landing safely at second despite the groundout.  

Buxton was feeling extra spicy tonight on the bases, and kept Kirby on his toes throughout Willi Castro’s at-bat. The mental games paid off. On the ninth pitch, Castro pulled a grounder between first and second that scored Buxton, giving the Twins the first run of the night, 1-0. The inning ended with a groundout from Carlos Correa, but the Twins had all the runs they'd need.

Louis Varland stepped in to relieve Ryan in the seventh inning, and kept anxiety and stress to a minimum. He walked Arozarena, but struck out Raley, and the remaining batters fell victim to the Twins' defense to end the inning. The Twins would have another chance at the bottom of the seventh inning to get some insurance, in hopes of securing a win.

Both Matt Wallner and Ty France struck out to start the bottom of the inning, but Kody Clemens stepped up to the plate and gave the team exactly what they needed. Clemens knocked a two-out, oppo-taco blast to left-center to give the Twins another run, for a 2-0 lead.

Griffin Jax dispensed with the Mariners on nine pitches in the eighth inning. In the ninth, Jhoan Duran came back out for his first save opportunity since June 8. He locked it down as though it was still an everyday thing, including a strikeout of former teammate Jorge Polanco.

What's Next
The Twins finish out the long four-game series with Seattle Thursday, a getaway game before heading back into a divisional series with the red-hot Detroit Tigers. Simeon Woods-Richardson (2-4; 5.06 ERA) will be taking the mound against Emerson Hancock (3-3; 5.43 ERA) at 12:10PM CST. 

Postgame Interviews

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