Twins Video
Box Score
SP: Joe Ryan 5 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K (80 pitches, 51 strikes (63%)
Home Runs: Jorge Polanco (9)
Top 3 WPA: Jorge Polanco (.155), Joe Ryan (.153), Jhoan Duran (.103)
Bottom 3 WPA: Griffin Jax (-.457), Caleb Thielbar (-.115), Matt Wallner (-.085)
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)
Joe Ryan returned to the mound tonight from the IL (groin) and got out his first two hitters on strikeouts. He allowed a single before striking out the last pitcher to end the inning. A solid start coming off injury. His velocity was a little lower than we saw in the beginning of the season, sitting between 91 mph and 94 mph, which could be an issue later. However, maybe it was his change of pace for music for his walk up.
Max Scherzer, who came to the Rangers in a trade deadline move, was backed up with Mitch Garver who has caught all his games since the trade. Scherzer looked good in the bottom of the first getting two outs before Max Kepler shot a single into the centerfield gap for a single and then walked Carlos Correa. Scherzer’s walks have been up this season, and in a slump-breaking situation, walks will haunt.
Ryan worked up his pitch count in the second inning, struggled a bit with the velocity still, and allowed low hanging fruit to create opportunities for the Rangers. The first was a home run by Mitch Garver to put the Rangers on the board first. Frustratingly, Garver got the Rangers on the board first with a home run on Friday night too. The Twins defense kept things tight as Robbie Grossman hit a line drive double to Kepler, and as Ezequiel Duran rounded the bases and dug for home, a relay from Max Kepler to Correa before a cannon to home to get Duran out.
Edouard Julien hadn't seen Scherzer before this game and struck out looking in his first at-bat, but fought back in the third and got a double to start out the inning followed by a solid hit to center field gap from Kepler, scoring Julien to tie up the game.
The Twins and Rangers stayed tied through. Both pitchers and defenses stayed tight, Ryan continued to stay in command of the strike zone as he settled in.
Caleb Thielbar came out in the sixth inning to give Ryan a break. Undoubtedly manager Rocco Baldelli is working Ryan back to more pitches. Thielbar gave up a home run to Adolis Garcia , giving the Rangers the lead, but nothing else, closing out the inning with minimal damage and a chance to come back, and come back they did with a solo home run from Jorge Polanco in the bottom of the sixth to tie-up the game again.
Emilio Pagan replaced Thielbar in the top of the seventh inning and as he has done so many times the past three months in these set-up positions, got out of the inning with no damage. Both threw 10 pitches in their appearances, and for Thielbar, eight of those were strikes. The Minnesota Twins bullpen has been getting stronger, better and hopefully ready for a postseason push.
The game remained tied and the Twins brought out Jhoan Duran in the eighth inning, which led this writer to believe that he would subsequently be back out for the ninth, but instead the Twins brought out Griffin Jax. The Twins flame-thrower Duran has struggled when in situations when he has to relieve in two innings. Jax has had a funny season. Lots of up and down, high highs and low lows, but as evidenced by his relief appearance on Thursday, he still has "it". Jax has been worked a lot this week, the most of the relievers (three relief appearances and 57 pitches) and his momentum quickly faded.
The ninth inning was messy. Jax had two runners on base with no outs when Pete Maki made a visit to the mound, to relax his reliever. Jax initially focused in and then threw a pitch that got Duran on the soft part of the elbow to load the bases. Tie game, one out, bases loaded and Robbie Grossman up to bat, the infield came to the mound to discuss how to get shut down Grossman and out of the inning with no damage, maybe hit into a double play and move to the tenth inning. The meeting didn't work and Grossman was walked to put the Rangers up 3-2, but the damage was far from over.
Jax walked another player with the bases loaded giving the Rangers another run for a two run lead. Dylan Floro came in to replace Jax, who left the mound with his head hanging. Floro came into the inning with the bases loaded, but in a repeat performance, Floro hit Marcus Semien in the elbow and reloaded the bases and bringing in another walk for a 5-2 lead. The bleeding finally stopped with a 6-2 lead for the Rangers.
The pitching wasn't the only thing to blame in this demise, the Twins bats were quiet and offense didn't show up outside of a double and solo home run, giving the pitchers no cushion to allow for runs. With the amount of usage the bullpen got this week, the bats needed to show up just as much.
The Rangers sent out Aroldis Chapman to face the four five six batters and the Twins made some adjustments with Jordan Luplow in the number five spot. Luplow walked and it looked like Donovan Solano squared up enough to send the ball out for a homerun, but he got just under it and it fell into the glove of Garcia in right field to end the game and the pain.
What’s Next?
The Twins continue their homestand with one more game from Texas in this series before coming head to head with Cleveland.
Sunday 12:35 pm CDT: RHP Bailey Ober (6-6, 3.41 ERA) vs. LHP Jordan Montgomery (8-10, 3.12 ERA)
Postgame Interviews
Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet
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