Minnesota Twins: Twins All Stars Make a Splash in Miami
Miguel Sano, Brandon Kintzler represent Minnesota Twins well in All Star game debuts. Ervin Santana impressive despite giving up NL’s lone run.
Baseball fans were treated to a heck of an All Star game in Miami on Tuesday night. The game was close, not without some drama and, most importantly if you’re playing in Miami, fun. The Minnesota Twins certainly served notice that 3 All Star selections were not a fluke during this turn-around season as Miguel Sano and Brandon Kintzler, both in their first All Star appearances, had significant contributions.
Following his impressive performance in Monday’s Home Run Derby, Sano got the party started on Tuesday, driving in the first run of the game on a single to right in the 5th inning. That would be the only offensive action Sano saw. However, Sano was an active presence in the dugout the rest of the night, no more so than when Robinson Cano blasted a home run in the top of the 10th inning. That run would win the game, the 5th straight victory for the American League.
Last minute addition Brandon Kintzler looked masterful in his one inning of work. He needed only 11 pitches to convert 3 ground balls into outs. While he only put in one inning of work, Kintzler also made a splash on the red carpet with a plaid suit coat that actually kind-of worked and a Tom Cruise-esque hairstyle. Word is, he booked a cabin mere minutes before finding out he had been selected as an All Star. Hopefully his deposit was refundable!
Santana Struggles, Foreign Born Players Shine in Culture-rich Miami
Ervin Santana‘s night was a bit rougher than that of his Twins teammates. Santana gave up the NL’s lone run, a homer off the bat of perennial All Star Yadier Molina. He faced only 3 other batters, effectively ending any additional scoring threats in that half inning.
It’s interesting to note that Sano, Santana, and Cano are all from the Dominican Republic. Molina is Puerto Rican. The game was played in Miami, a city which basks in Central American culture. The late Jose Fernandez, a Cuban, who would have been a no doubt All Star selection for years had his life not been cut short by a tragic boating accident in September, was beloved in Miami. It was fitting, in a way that only baseball can provide, that it was these players who provided the action on Tuesday.
Next: Fernando Romero Scouting Report
Washington, D.C., is now on the clock for the 2018 game. Minnesota, along with the other 29 clubs, starts to turn their attention to the trade deadline and the second half of the season. Judging by the first half of the season, Minnesota Twins fans have a lot to look forward to.