Twins Video
Box Score
SP: Sonny Gray 6 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K (84 pitches, 55 strikes (65.4 strike %))
Home Runs: None
Top 3 or Bottom 3 WPA: Sonny Gray .237, Jorge Polanco .088, Jose Miranda .076
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)
The Twins wasted no time getting runs on the board to start Sunday afternoon in Detroit. Carlos Correa and Jorge Polanco got back-to-back one out hits on a single and double and Correa scored first on a Max Kepler RBI fielder's choice where he reached base safely.
In the next at-bat, Alex Kirilloff drove in Polanco on an E3 advancing himself to second and Kepler to third. Following Kirilloff’s at-bat, Tigers starter Rony Garica lost complete control of the strike zone as he hit back-to-back hitters with pitches. First Nick Gordon, then Jose Miranda who drove in Kepler with abases-loadedd RBI.
The Twins fell short of sending all hitters up to the plate in the top of the first as the inning of errors ended with Gio Urshela grounding into a double play.
Sonny Gray kept the Tigers scoreless in the first two innings retiring the minimum in that frame. During the top of the third, another Twins batter was hit by a pitch, this time Kepler, who was hit hard in the wrong spot that he needed to come out of the game and was replaced by Gilberto Celestino in right.
The substitution of Celestino shifted the outfield up a bit for the bottom of the third. Celestino moved into center field shifting Gordon to left and Kirilloff to right for the remainder of the game. The outfield did not have to move at all after shifting positions as Gray retired all three Tigers in order without a ball hit outside the infield.
Gray’s perfect streak would end in the bottom of the fourth when he hit Javier Baez with a pitch. Baez would score the Tigers first run of the game on an RBI single from catcher Eric Haase. Even with the hiccup of three base runners in the fourth, Gray would avoid any more damage and keep the Twins lead at 3-1.
Gray would keep the Tigers bats quiet once again in the fifth and sixth innings. The Twins bats would have another go around with the Tigers bullpen in the top of the seventh as they scored three more runs against them. The three runs were produced by an Urshela double that scored Miranda, Arraez RBI single, and another Polanco double, making it his second multi-double game of the season.
Polanco’s only other multi-double game of 2022 was on May 1 against Tampa Bay in a 9-3 Twins win.
Gray was done for the afternoon following the sixth inning, allowing only four base runners through those six innings of work. This was Gray’s first start allowing four base runners or less since June 15 in Seattle where he allowed only three base runners on 3 hits in five innings against the Mariners.
Griffin Jax came into the game in the seventh, making his first relief appearance since July 16. Although he gave up a lead-off double, Jax retired the next three in order giving the Twins a scoreless inning in his first outing for the second half.
Going into the top of the eighth, the Twins held a healthy 6-1 lead over the Tigers. The Twins batters thought a couple more runs wouldn’t hurt to add on. Miranda and Urshela reached base once again to give Gary Sanchez an opportunity to tack more runs on. And add to the lead he did as Sanchez smacked an RBI double scoring both teammates to make it a 8-1, Twins lead.
Jharel Cotton had the bottom of the eighth for the Twins. Cotton made his first career appearance against the Tigers this afternoon and looked as if he had a home run surrendered to rookie Riley Greene. Greene would never see that ball land over the fence as Gordon robbed him of his third career home run.
The Twins would lead off the top of the ninth with back-to-back singles from Celestino and Kirilloff. Gordon would ground out into a double play in the next at-bat, but Miranda would follow up with another hit, his third of the day, and an RBI, scoring Celestino and making it a 9-1 lead.
The ninth would go to Joe Smith to close out the win for the Twins. With great struggles in July posting a 34.62 FIP in two relief appearances for the month. An appearance with an 8 run lead against the worst offense in baseball seemed a safe time to put Smith in. Smith would retire the minimum on 16 pitches to give the Twins their 9-1 win.
What’s Next?
The Twins are off on Monday and will resume play Tuesday in Milwaukee for another two-game series against the Brewers. Dylan Bundy will make the start for the Twins while the Brewers have yet to announce a starter for Tuesday.
Postgame Interview (Bally Sports Tweets)
Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet
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