Twins 8, Orioles 6: Kody Clemens Plays Hero, Twins Win 10th in a Row!

Box Score
SP: Simeon Woods Richardson 4 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 4 K (87 pitches, 58 strikes (67%)
Home Runs: Trevor Larnach (7), Willi Castro (2), Kody Clemens (2)
Top 3 WPA: Castro (.403), Clemens (.279), Justin Topa (.093)

Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) 

The second game of Tuesday's doubleheader featured Twins righty Simeon Woods Richardson against recently called-up Orioles righty Chayce McDermott. Woods Richardson hadn't gone five full innings in a start since April, and McDermott hadn't gone five full innings in a start in his whole life (in the majors, anyway). Runs were bound to be scored, and with Game 1 taxing the bullpens of both squads, striking first and holding on was going to be essential if the Twins were to extend their winning streak to double-digits.

Twins Strike First, but Leave Ducks on the Pond
McDermott showed little control in the opening frame, walking designated hitter Byron Buxton to start the game and eventually Willi Castro with two outs to load the bases after Ryan Jeffers singled up the middle. This brought up Harrison Bader, who managed to beat out an infield single to plate Buxton and the first Minnesota run. Kody Clemens almost took the first pitch he saw into grand slam land, but after that hope went foul, he struck out swinging to leave the bases loaded. Would this failure to cash in come back to haunt the Twins?

Larnach Continues to Rip the Cover Off the Ball
Thanks to Trevor Larnach, these initial fears only lasted an inning. In the top of the second, Jonah Bride got hit by a pitch. Then, with two outs, Larnach made it 3-0 Twins with his seventh homer of the year. 

Kody Clemens added an RBI single in the top of the third, plating another McDermott walk recipient, Brooks Lee. It looked like the Twins were cruising to a lopsided victory. Alas, that was not to be.

Woods Richardson Implodes in the Third
With a four-run lead, Woods Richardson looked to lengthen his start and put the game on lockdown. Three singles later, though, it was a 4-1 ballgame with only one out. The Twins thought they had a double play grounder to end the inning, but the new tandem of Clemens and Lee couldn't convert. Woods Richardson walked Ramón Laureano on a full count, and then Cedric Mullins turned a slider into a grand slam. Just like that, it was 5-4 Orioles.

To add insult to injury, Heston Kjerstad followed suit two pitches later, with a long solo shot to make it 6-4 Baltimore. Woods Richardson managed to come back to pitch a scoreless fourth, but the damage was done and the Twins bullpen's version of the Thunderbolts was going to have to come in to save the day.

Willi Castro Thunders... and Bolts!
Charlie Morton was cruising along for the Orioles in his relief of McDermott, until Castro stepped up to the plate with two outs in the top of the fifth. First-pitch fastball, 105.8 mph exit velocity, and suddenly, it's only a one-run deficit.

The top of the eighth saw the Twins still trailing, but not having slipped any further back, and ex-Twin Yennier Canó was called into action to face Castro and the bottom of the Twins lineup. Castro stayed hot, lacing a single to left. He then stole second, and advanced to third on a Canó balk to put the tying run on third with nobody out. Royce Lewis worked a quality walk, and then Clemens got another chance to make his mark on this game. By the time Canó's first-pitch changeup landed in the right-field stands, the broken and duct-taped spartan helmet was getting prepared in the dugout. The Twins were up 8-6, and the Clemens redemption trip around the bases had sent Twins Territory into a tizzy.

Does the Twins Bullpen Have What it Takes to Close it Out?
The 27th man, Kody Funderburk, got the first out of the eighth but then he allowed an infield hit to Mullins. With Rocco Baldelli absent from the dugout, acting manager Jayce Tingler made the call to the bullpen for the rarely-used Justin Topa. Topa served up a rocket to Tyler O'Neill, but Castro saved the day yet again, with a racing, galloping catch in left field. An Emmanuel Rivera single put the tying run on base with two outs, and brought superstar-in-waiting Adley Rutschman off the bench to serve as the potential go-ahead run. Rutschman took a mighty swing, but the ball fell harmlessly into DaShawn Keirsey Jr.'s glove in center for out number three.

Cole Sands was the last man standing (literally) in the bullpen to get the call for the bottom of the ninth to face the top of the Orioles order. He navigated it smoothly, securing a 10th straight W.

What’s Next?
The red-hot Minnesota Twins look for their third straight sweep and 11th victory in a row on Thursday afternoon. Righty Chris Paddack (1-3, 4.76 ERA) looks to repeat his excellent outing from last Friday against the Giants, and he will face the surprise ace of the Baltimore staff, righty Tomoyuki Sugano (4-2, 2.72 ERA). Worth watching is whether Harrison Bader, Ty France, or Baldelli compete in the contest. First pitch is scheduled for 11:35 am CDT.

Postgame Interviews
TBD

Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet