Twins Video
Box Score
Sonny Gray: 5 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Home Run: Max Kepler (9)
Top 3 WPA: Christian Vázquez (.257), Max Kepler (.195), Kyle Farmer (.150)
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)
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Sleep-walking and heavily pulverized over the past week, the Twins crawled into Wednesday’s battle against the Red Sox with the sort of enthusiasm men have when they’re due for a vasectomy. Nonetheless, the game must be played, so the two teams entered what became a compelling ball game.
But it didn’t start pretty. Starter Sonny Gray walked Justin Turner on three pitches (with help from a pitch clock violation) before Rafael Devers golfed a breaking ball, banging a double off the center field wall with authority. The game had begun.
Minnesota’s batters were up for the challenge, though, and their attack started in the second inning. Byron Buxton catalyzed the action, poking a double off the right-field wall before Max Kepler—in what must be the first time in his career—found a hole through the infield with a chopping single, scoring Buxton to re-knot the game. Royce Lewis swapped places with Kepler following a force out and immediately turned in one of the most exciting plays of the year.
It was bedlam. Christian Vázquez’s stinging single tipped off Kiké Hernández’s reaching glove, dribbling lazily into center field. Lewis bolted, rounding second with evil intentions as the Red Sox attempted to run down the parked ball; he did not stop, blazing past third to score on an odd, invigorating play wholly unique to Minnesota’s distinctive brand of offense.
The slim lead couldn’t hold up for long. Boston was far too feisty to allow that. Justin Turner blasted an inside sinker deep into the night to bring the game back to even.
And yet—perhaps sensing the radiant angst emanating from Gray following his previous start—the Twins responded again. Edouard Julien socked the top of the left-field wall with a double; he eventually scored on a Carlos Correa dribbler. Lewis then smoked a double into left the next inning, finding himself on third with just one out. A gaffe killed him. Catcher Reese McGuire back-picked the young infielder, essentially ending the rally before a painted changeup to Joey Gallo concluded it for good.
Not all were pleased, and Gallo took great exception to the strike call. Marred in a terrible strikeout streak, the outfielder barked at home plate umpire David Rackley a little too long, necessitating an intervention from Rocco Baldelli. Gallo’s emotions were not cooled within a few minutes, and some extra words for Rackley as he re-entered the field earned him an ejection. Baldelli followed suit quickly. It was his 14th career ejection.
The game only just now reached the fifth.
Boston re-tied the game—sometimes these plots are too predictable—but the match finally slowed a little, allowing the common monotony to take over.
Until, hilariously, Kepler gave Minnesota yet another one-run advantage with a solo homer delivered just far back enough into the overhang.
And yet—and yet, and yet—the game was not done with its twists and turns. Jayce Tingler successfully exhausted Brock Stewart and Griffin Jax; the eighth was now Jhoan Duran’s time to pitch. Usually dominant, his command was off, leading to a walk turned stolen base turned game-tying run when Triston Casas lined a double into the left-center gap. Yet again, neither team could claim an advantage.
The game lurched into extra-innings, sometimes teasing favor one way before sling-shotting back to equilibrium as neither team could find That One Big Hit to break the score open and clear their anxiety.
Until the bottom of the 10th. A bizarre Michael A. Taylor sacrifice bunt—somehow called out by New York despite no part of the fielder’s glove ever touching his body—set up Kyle Farmer for the clutch hit, and he delivered, serving a single just in front of Jarren Duran to end the game in favor of the Twins.
Notes:
The hit was Kyle Farmer's second walk-off of the season.
Sonny Gray earned nine swings and misses during Wednesday's start.
The Twins totaled three Statcast "barrels" on Wednesday: one each from Edouard Julien, Alex Kirilloff, and Royce Lewis, respectively.
Wednesday was Julien's fourth multi-hit game since being re-called on June 10th; he has only once failed to reach base in a game he started since re-joining the Twins.
Post-Game Interview:
What’s Next?
The Twins and Red Sox will conclude their four-game set with a day game on Thursday; the game starts at 12:10 PM, and Joe Ryan will face off against a starter to be named later.
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