Twins Video
Box Score
SP: Zebby Matthews - 6 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K (97 pitches, 63 strikes (65% strikes))
Home Runs: Ryan Kriedler (7)
Top 3 WPA: Zebby Matthews (0.35); Luke Keaschall (0.16); Kody Funderburk (0.11)
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)
Zebby Matthews has had a lot of trouble pitching on the road this season. At Target Field, however, he entered Wednesday with a 2.84 ERA in nine starts—and it only got better. Matthews's first inning was clean, only allowing Cody Bellinger on base. In the bottom of the first, Luke Keaschalle cracked a leadoff single and would come around to score—a theme that also echoed through the rest of the afternoon.
The 1-0 score would last all the way to the bottom of the fifth inning, as Matthews sailed along. Ryan Kreidler doubled the Twins' advantage with a home run in the fifth, and Ben Ross—newly recalled to replace the injured Kaelen Culpepper and play some shortstop—got his first big-league hit, a double. Shaky baserunning denied the Twins a chance to further stretch their lead, though. (Yes, that, too, would repeat itself later.)
For most of the day, it looked like Matthews would be the headliner of a shutout Twins win. He ended up working six nearly spotless frames, showing the tantalizing potential that keeps the Twins coming back to him as a rotation option.
Jeff Hoffman came out in the seventh inning to protect the Twins’ slim lead, giving Minnesota a chance to add insurance. Hoffman struck out two in the middle of the Yankees’ order, bringing him just shy of 100 strikeouts on the season. The Twins pinch-hit Brooks Lee for Ross, and Lee delivered a single into right-center off Clarke Schmidt. Luke Keaschall worked through eight pitches before slapping an outside pitch into right, putting runners on the corners with two outs. The Yankees brought out Brent Headrick, who got the final out and stranded both runners.
A.J. Minter replaced Hoffman in the eighth. The pressure mounted quickly after Anthony Volpe stole third for the fourth time in this series. Minter walked Ramos to load the bases with two outs, but Luis Garcia Jr. went down on Minter’s four-seamer, stranding three Yankees. Headrick returned for the bottom of the eighth and quickly moved through the Twins’ lineup, setting up Tremendous Yoendrys Gómez for a relatively easy save—or so it seemed.
Gómez entered the ninth with a two-run lead. After singles by George Lombard Jr. and Paul Goldschmidt put the tying runs on base, Volpe continued his late-summer surge, crushing a double off the wall to score both Lopmbard and pinch-runner Jose Caballero. It was Gómez’s first blown save of the year, and even this one came only when Keaschall appeared to slightly misjudge the long fly ball. He jumped high enough to catch the ball, but was about four feet away from it as it came down and hit the wall. Derek Shelton pulled Gómez in favor of Kody Funderburk, who kept the game tied.
The Twins had the bottom of their order in the bottom of the ninth, but Emmanuel Rodríguez made an immediate out. After Kriedler walked, Lee bounced into a double play. Extra innings.
The Twins were down to two rested arms: Travis Adams and Tommy Nance. Adams worked the 10th, but a softly hit ground ball allowed Bellinger to score and gave the Yankees a 3-2 lead.
Minnesota answered. Starting the inning with Lee on second, Keaschall (that man again) hit a sharp line drive to left that brought him home to tie the game at 3-3. The Twins had a chance to bring Keaschall home, too, but couldn't capitalize.
Adams returned for the 11th. After New York managed to move the Manfred Man over, Caballero lifted a sacrifice fly to score Lombard, putting New York back ahead, 4-3.
The Twins answered again. Kody Clemens lined a single up the middle, moving Walker Jenkins (who entered for the slow-footed Josh Bell) to third. Royce Lewis, 0-for-3 on the day, lifted a sacrifice fly to center to bring Jenkins home and tie the game at 4-4. Clemens got into scoring position in his own right, but again, the Twins couldn't cash in the game-winning run.
Adams bravely came back out for his third inning. He struggled with command as the day got long on him, loading the bases with no outs, but Heliot Ramos grounded into a 1-2-3 double play, and the Twins execute idt perfectly. The ball was hit straight to Adams, who gunned it to Jeffers at home to cut down Volpe at the plate, then sent it straight to the glove of Lewis for the twin-killing. It was the third fine play Adams had made on comebackers since coming into the game; he fields his position like a true fifth infielder. From there, he escaped the jam and set up a walkoff win.
The less said about the bottom of the 12th, alas, the better. Kreidler was picked off second base after an intentional walk to Lee. Keaschall then grounded into a double play, forcing a 13th inning.
Tommy Nance replaced Adams in the 13th, and dominated the Yankees. The bullpen had, improbably, held serve through four tough extra frames. It was time for the offense to end this thing.
Keaschall started on second base. All he would need is a little push to get home, and he got a shove! Victor Caratini came off the bench to bat for Austin Martin and hit into a ground ball that was missed by Lombard. As it trickled into center field, Keaschall scored, and the Twins walked off the Yankees.
The Twins travel to Anaheim to play the Angels on Thursday at 8:38 CST. The Twins will send Taj Bradley (11-6, 3.81 ERA,) against a pitcher the Angels will determine later.
Postgame Interviews
Bullpen Availability Chart
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