Twins Video
Box Score
SP: Pablo López 7 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K (98 pitches, 67 strikes (68.3%))
Home Runs: Byron Buxton (1), Harrison Bader (3)
Top 3 WPA: Pablo López .237, Harrison Bader .223, Byron Buxton .116
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)
The Twins got off to a hot start, with a 446-foot bomb to left-center field by the driver of the Buck Truck. In his first at bat of the game, Buxton hit his first homer of the year to put the Twins up immediately, 1-0.
The Twins have had a rough time with their plate appearances, followed by their deja vu issues with runners in scoring position, but there has now been a turning point. The past two games have shown that the offense just needed to get going and that’s exactly what they did. Fresh starts for everyone.
Pablo López, who lost his first game of the season, wasted no time following Buxton’s vigor by striking out two hitters. He served up a hittable pitch and suffered hard contact from the Sox's Nick Maton, but a flying Buxton snared the ball to end the frame. López threw 12 pitches, two pitches shy of his 10-pitch goal per inning.
No longer held hostage by a dead bat, Carlos Correa managed to get a ground ball into the hole between first and second to get him onto his first official base of the season. It was a moment to celebrate and bask in relief.
First baseman Ty France hit a bloop into center field in the top of the fourth to get another rally started, followed by Willi Castro, who was (shocker!) hit by a pitch. Harrison Bader, the charismatic king of crop tops who has been the most consistent bat in the lineup thus far, came to the plate and did what he does, and got a three-run home run, his third of the season, to move the Twins up 4-0.
After an 0-18 start, Correa got his second consecutive hit of the season and this game in the fifth, ripping a double that paved the way for an RBI double from Buxton. That put the Twins up 5-0 with only one out. The White Sox replaced Sean Burke with Cam Booser on the mound, but that didn’t slow down the Twins. France got his fourth hit in seven at-bats, an RBI double to score Buxton making it 6-0.
The rain that delayed the start of the game by three hours and change once again appeared in the top of the seventh inning, but the game continued, with Lopez pitching right through it. He gave up his first run of the game, a solo home run to Baldwin off a high changeup; blame it on the rain. He still finished seven strong frames.
The game made it all nine innings and ended with the Twins on top! Two games, two wins. Let's just forget what came before them. Can they continue the streak when they come home?
What’s Next?
The Twins come home to have their home series against the Houston Astros. Joe Ryan (0-0; 1.80 ERA) taking the bump against Hunter Brown (0-1; 3.oo ERA) at 3:10PM CST. Target Field has some great new eats, so if you are coming to the game, check them out!
Postgame Interviews
Bullpen Usage Report
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