Minnesota Twins Daily Morning Dip for October 6th, 2017

Minnesota Twins Daily Dip, October 6th, 2017

Welcome to the October 6th edition of the Daily Dip, your daily piece of news and notes here on Puckett’s Pond, offseason edition. You’ll find the most recent news of the Minnesota Twins organization, stories from around the game, and links to any information you may want to know about the Minnesota Twins or baseball as we work our way through the hot stove season!

News and Notes

ALDS, Game 1: Houston Astros 8, Boston Red Sox 2

The vaunted pitching matchup between aces Chris Sale and Justin Verlander was spoiled by the Astros offense, specifically their smallest member, as Jose Altuve hit 3 home runs in the game!

Verlander did his part, even though he wasn’t his sharpest, working through struggles to throw 6 innings, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks, striking out 3. Chris Devenski threw a perfect inning of relief, striking out 2. Joe Musgrove had a perfect 9th to close out the game, striking out 1. Sale went 5 innings, allowing 7 runs on 9 hits and a walk, striking out 6.

Houston’s offense was led by Altuve’s 3 home runs, but he wasn’t the whole story. Alex Bregman got the scoring started with a first inning home run and also had a single. Evan Gattis had a pair of doubles and a walk. Josh Reddick had a pair of singles and a walk. Marwin Gonzalez had a double.

The Red Sox offense was led by Hanley Ramirez, who took over at DH after a first inning injury to Eduardo Nunez, collecting a double and a single on the day. Mookie Betts also had a double and single. Sandy Leon had a pair of singles. Mitch Moreland had a single and a walk.

ALDS, Game 1: Cleveland Indians 4, New York Yankees 0

In a postseason filled with rough performances from starting pitchers, one of the best ones in a number of years shut down the powerful Yankees lineup. Trevor Bauer threw 6 2/3 innings, allowing just 2 hits and a walk, striking out 8. Andrew Miller struck out the side in his inning of work, though he also walked two. Cody Allen closed out the game with 1 1/3 innings, allowing just 1 hit and striking out 3.

Sonny Gray struggled, going 3 1/3 innings, allowing 3 runs on 3 hits and 4 walks, striking out 2. Jaime Garcia did stabilize the Yankee pitching for a few innings in the middle of the game with 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, allowing no hits and 2 walks, striking out 3. Dellin Betances finished out the game with a perfect inning, striking out the side on just 11 pitches.

The Indians offense was led by Jay Bruce, who had a home run and a double. Carlos Santana had a single and a walk. Francisco Lindor had a pair of walks. The Yankees were held quiet outside of a pair of singles by Starlin Castro and a double by Aaron Hicks.

Game 2 is on Friday in Cleveland.

Playoff games today

Boston Red Sox @ Houston Astros, 1:00PM CT
Starting Pitchers: Drew Pomeranz vs. Dallas Keuchel
Television: FS1
Series Standing: Astros lead 1-0

New York Yankees @ Cleveland Indians, 4:00PM CT
Starting Pitchers: CC Sabathia vs. Corey Kluber
Television: MLB Network
Series Standing: Indians lead 1-0

Chicago Cubs @ Washington Nationals, 6:30PM CT
Starting Pitchers: Kyle Hendricks vs. Stephen Strasburg
Television: TBS
Season Series: Washington leads 4-3
Season Records: Chicago Cubs 92-70, Washington Nationals 97-65

Arizona Diamondbacks @ Los Angeles Dodgers, 9:30PM CT
Starting Pitchers: Taijuan Walker vs. Clayton Kershaw
Television: TBS
Season Series: Arizona leads 11-8
Season Records: Arizona Diamondbacks 93-69, Los Angeles Dodgers 104-58

Notes from around baseball

Next: Sano may need surgery

One Last Thing

Today is the anniversary of the last game played in that wonderful atrocity to baseball viewing, the Metrodome. Most remember it more fondly due to it being game 163, the game between the Tigers and the Twins to determine the winner of the American League Central division championship and a spot in the playoffs.

The game was started by Scott Baker for the Twins and Rick Porcello for the Tigers, and each threw quality games, but after the Twins took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the 7th inning, a Magglio Ordonez home run off of Matt Guerrier tied up the score at 4, leading to extra innings.

Eventually, the game would work its way to the 12th inning, where Carlos Gomez would get a single, get sacrificed over to second, and then driven home by Alexi Casilla, leading to one of the great moments in Twins history – the sight of Michael Cuddyer somehow finding the 40″ vertical leap he never knew he had.

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