Twins 5, Mets 3: Minnesota Rallies Keep Miserable Mets Reeling

Box Score
Starting Pitchers: Simeon Woods Richardson -  5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K (95 pitches, 56 strikes (59%))
Home Runs: Byron Buxton (4)
Top 3 WPA (via FanGraphs): Luke Keaschall (0.28), Kody Clemens (0.19), Cole Sands (0.19)
Win Probability Chart (via BaseballSavant) 

The Twins needed a win as they arrived in New York, having lost four in a row and finding themselves back at the .500 mark—with another starting pitcher on the injured list, to boot. The New York Mets wish it was only a week ago that their misery started, but instead, they entered this contest searching for their first win in a fortnight. Something had to give on a chilly night at Citi Field.

The Twins turned to a lineup restocked with Royce Lewis and Matt Wallner, and a starter in Simeon Woods Richardson who was looking to regain his form. The Mets countered with phenom Nolan McLean, who was making only the 13th start of his career but who sports a 2.11 career ERA.

An Old Foe Strikes First
After the hurlers traded goose eggs over the first two innings, it was the Mets who struck first. Woods Richardson gave up a leadoff single to his old Mets minor-league pal Mark Vientos. After inducing a ground ball that Brooks Lee couldn't turn into a double play, Woods Richardson walked Marcus Semien on a full count to bring up Twins nemesis Francisco Lindor. Lindor got ahead 3-0, fell back into a full count, and then beat a fastball to its spot. At almost 108 MPH off the bat, he caught ever stitch of the ball, which found the upper deck in right field. As Lindor jumped and danced and screamed like the Mets just won the World Series, Twins Territory realized that they just saw the end of the ballgame at 3-0. Why? His name is Nolan McLean.

Perfection Brewing...
McLean had already struck out seven Twins before Lindor crushed his homer, and through five innings, he had garnered eight and was over halfway through a perfect game. McLean clearly had the Twins' number, mixing all six of his pitches with pinpoint precision, ranging from his 98-MPH fastball to his 84.5-MPH sweeper. Woods Richardson settled in and kept the game within reach through his five innings, but somehow, the Twins bats were going to need to get to McLean.

In the top of the sixth, Wallner led off by avoiding a low changeup, and then lacing a perfect game-breaking single to left on a center-cut sinker. It looked like that was all of the damage that the Twins would muster, but then Byron Buxton got the count into his favor at 3-1. One pitch later, it was 3-2—the score, that is.

Keep the Rally Going
The attack of McLean kept rolling into the top of the seventh. After Anthony Banda took out the Mets in order in the bottom of the sixth, the Twins kept on swinging. Kody Clemens had seen all of McLean's pitches by his third plate appearance, and on a 2-2 count, he found a sinker to his liking and drilled a one-out double into the right-field corner. Two pitches later, Luke Keaschall took a sweeper straight into center field to tie the game; it was an aggressive send to the plate, but Clemens made it without a play. Keaschall later stole second base, but a Wallner shot up the middle was snagged by Lindor, and we headed into the bottom of the seventh still knotted 3-3.

To the Ninth We Go!
Justin Topa and Cole Sands got the Twins to the top of the ninth, where much-maligned Mets closer Devin WIlliams was waiting for Josh Bell and a potential Twins rally. Williams brought the boo birds out at Citi Field by walking Bell on four pitches. James Outman got the call to stand in and to steal second for Bell, and that he did. It didn't matter, because Ryan Jeffers also walked. Clemens laid down a would-be sacrifice bunt toward first base. Luckily for Twins Territory, Vientos tried to nab Outman at third instead of taking the sure out. Outman beat the throw, and the Twins had the bases loaded with nobody out. Keaschall was next man up, and nothing says hero like a slow, high chopper over the third baseman's head! 4-3 Twins.

With the boo birds now at a fever pitch, Wallner fought his way into a full count, and laid off a changeup way outside of the zone to make it 5-3. Williams gave way to righty Austin Warren, who struck out Lewis, Lee and Buxton to keep the Mets' deficit manageable—in theory. In practice, Sands finished them off with relative ease.

What’s Next?
With the upper hand in the series, the Twins turn next to their youth movement. Mick Abel is on the shelf with elbow inflammation, so lefty Connor Prielipp is expected to get the ball for his big-league debut. The Mets will counter with veteran righty closer-turned-starter Clay Holmes (2-2, 1.96 ERA), First pitch is scheduled for 6:10 pm CDT.

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