Twins Video
Box Score
SP: Bailey Ober - 5 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K (80 pitches, 53 strikes (72% strikes))
Home Runs: None
Bottom 3 WPA: Kaelen Culpepper (-0.17); Brooks Lee (-0.15), Royce Lewis (-0.08)
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)
The Twins set out to try and get the same momentum during the day game on Saturday that they had Friday night.
Bailey Ober, much like his teammate Dean Kremer, had a little trouble finding the strike zone early. He walked the first two hitters, and then Andrew Benintendi dropped a weak single that the infield couldn’t quite handle. The misplay allowed Sam Antonacci to come around and score, giving the White Sox an early 1-0 lead.
Ober eventually got his wits about him and escaped the inning, but the White Sox made him work, driving his pitch count all the way up to 28 pitches in the first. Not exactly the start you draw up.
The Twins offense, however, wasted no time answering back. Luke Keaschall and Brooks Lee created some traffic for White Sox starter Erik Fedde, and then Fedde made a mistake at the wrong time. An 88-mph changeup landed right in Josh Bell’s sweet spot, and Bell sent a sacrifice fly deep enough to score Keaschall and tie things up at 1-1.
Ober came back out for the second looking much more like himself, making quick work of the bottom of the White Sox lineup with a clean 1-2-3 inning.
Then the Twins bats got rolling.
Trevor Larnach fell victim to a force out, but Kaelen Culpepper and Victor Caratini followed with line drives into the right-field gap, putting runners on the corners for rookie Walker Jenkins. And Jenkins? He was ready for the moment.
The rookie grounded to second for a fielder's choice. He hustled out of the box and easily beat the return throw to first base which allowed to score Culpepper. It also marked the first RBI of Jenkins career. The 21-year-old decided he wasn't done making noise, taking advantage of Fedde's timing to swipe his first stolen base.
After two innings, the Twins had flipped the script and taken a 2-1 lead.
The White Sox came alive in the fourth inning and said, “Not so fast.” A leadoff double by Benintendi set the tone, and a bobbled slow roller by Culpepper off the bat of Chase Meidroth brought Benintendi home. Just like that, a 2-2 ballgame.
Ober’s day was officially done after five innings and 80 pitches. Andrew Morris came in to relieve him, but apparently nobody had informed him that Andrew Benintendi was having the game of his life. Like the pitchers before him—and frankly, like everyone for the previous five innings—Morris couldn't get around Benintendi's bat, surrendering a solo home run that gave the White Sox a 3-2 lead. As Derek Shelton noted after the game. It was a 95-mph cutter, three-to-four inches below the zone. All you can do is tip your cap to the cagey veteran.
AJ Minter replaced Morris in the eighth, and with one out and two runners on, Benintendi stepped back into the box already 3-for-3 on the day. Naturally, that looked terrifying. But Minter said, not today. He struck Benintendi out, becoming the first Twins pitcher to retire him all afternoon. A much-needed out was followed by a smothered ball from Culpepper to Lee to end the inning and finally give Minnesota a chance to breathe.
Unfortunately, the Twins offense spent the seventh and eighth innings doing what it had become far too comfortable doing: absolutely nothing. Every opportunity was squandered, every hit seemed to find a glove, and no matter how much the pitching staff tried to keep the Twins within striking distance, the offense remained on life support. One inning remained. One last chance to wake up.
Yoendrys Gómez replaced Minter as the insurance policy—the guy brought in to make sure the White Sox didn't add anything the Twins couldn't overcome. He did his job.
The offense, however?
Yeah... they never woke up.
Maybe Sunday?
What’s Next?
The Twins finish their second day game with the White Sox on Sunday 1:10 CST. The Twins will send Zebby Matthews (8-8, 4.86 ERA,) against a pitcher the White Sox will determine later.
Postgame Interviews
Bullpen Availability Chart
Recommended Comments
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now