Twins Video
Box Score
SP: Bailey Ober 5.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 2 K (89 pitches, 51 strikes, 7 whiffs)
Home Runs: Royce Lewis (2)
Bottom 3 WPA: Bailey Ober -0.128, Trevor Larnach -0.094, Carlos Correa -0.080
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)
A Familiar Face
Luis Gil never played for the Minnesota Twins, but he was once a prospect in their farm system. With the Twins in need of a fourth outfielder, he was dealt to the New York Yankees in exchange for Jake Cave. He was just a teenager at the time. Minnesota certainly didn’t foresee him becoming the American League Pitcher of the Month in May 2024, but here we are.
Holding the Twins down through the first seven batters he faced, Gil struck out a pair and issued a walk. That walk was to Royce Lewis, who returned to the lineup for the first time since injuring his quad on Opening Day.
Minnesota starter Bailey Ober nearly matched Gil early. Gleyber Torres went to right field for a home run that Max Kepler nearly robbed, and the ball reached the seats by a matter of inches. Yankee Stadium is literally the only venue in baseball where the ball would leave the yard.
Christian Vázquez doubled in the top of the third inning, which was shocking. He was stranded at second, though.
Judge Renders Verdict
A leadoff walk by DJ LeMahieu put Ober in a bad spot to start off the third inning. Walking the nine batter with a sub-.600 OPS is never a good idea. Leadoff hitter Anthony Volpe then singled the other way. Ober got good fortune in the form of a Juan Soto foul pop, but then Aaron Judge went the other way with a 2-2 pitch that brought both baserunners home. He did get Giancarlo Stanton to swing at a slider in the opposite batter’s box to end the inning, so there’s that.
In his second plate appearance, Lewis got behind Gil 1-2 but then showed solid restraint and worked another walk. While his rehab assignment with the Saints wasn’t offensively impressive, it appears that his approach has been dialed in. Alex Kirilloff struck out to end the inning though, and Minnesota’s third baseman didn’t move past first base.
Royce With the Good Glove
It was never going to matter what Jose Miranda did at third base in the absence of Lewis. The hot corner would be his when he returned from the injured list, and it’s because he’s a far superior talent defensively. Having already walked twice in his return to the lineup, it didn’t take long for him to flash the leather. Torres, who already got a lucky home run, was going to be robbed by an incredible stop and throw on a shot to third base. Originally called safe, he was deemed out after replay review.
Chris Segal attempted to give the Yankees extra life in the bottom of the fifth inning when he missed an awful strike three call to Judge, but Ober got out of the jam anyways. The Twins came up and went down in order during the sixth inning, and Gil had continued to hold a one hitter. Now 32 innings into a scoreless streak against New York, Minnesota was lost.
Return of the Royce
Of course Lewis had already made his presence felt in the field, and he walked twice during his first two plate appearances, but more theatrics were afoot. With Tommy Kahnle taking over for Luis Gil, the Twins star stepped in and sent a ball flying into the stands. As only Lewis does, an opportunity for the theatrics was risen to. The Twins had just a single hit, and snapping a scoreless inning streak, their star was back.
Cole Sands cruised through a pair of innings in relief, and his six outs kept Minnesota within striking distance. He looked the part of a solid arm that was utilized in multiple situations by Rocco Baldelli earlier this season, and getting back to that would be big for the bullpen. Unfortunately the lineup’s lackluster results continued and they remained down two headed to the bottom of the eighth inning.
Caleb Thielbar came on against Juan Soto and got the lefty to miss a middle-middle fastball that could have gone for 600 feet. Judge got him for a single though, and after a Verdugo strikeout, Stanton blasted his 15th home run of the season. Now with a 5.65 ERA, and stuff that looks like it simply doesn't work, the end may be near for the former feel-good story.
Notes
While Royce Lewis was the big news of the day, both Walker Jenkins and Brooks Lee were activated from their rehab assignments as well. Jenkins returns to Fort Myers where he opened the year, and Lee joins the Saints for the first time this season. Jenkins went 0-3 with a pair of strikeouts while St. Paul's game was cancelled due to rain.
Two top 100 Twins prospects have been on the shelf for more than a week. Gabriel Gonzalez remained sidelined for the Cedar Rapids Kernels and no update was available, though he did take batting practice last week. Emmanuel Rodriguez is day to day. He will take batting practice on Tuesday, and if things go well, return to the lineup on Wednesday for Wichita.
What’s Next?
The Sheriff is in town for a matchup against the Yankees Wednesday night. Chris Paddack will look to bounce back from a tougher start. He will be opposed by Carlos Rodon and the New York Yankees. Last time New York saw Paddack there was some concern that he was tipping his pitches. We’ll see how round two goes.
Postgame Interviews
Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet
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