The Minnesota Twins were able to sneak past the Kansas City Royals 5-3 today backed by a trio of home runs and another gem by ace Jose Berrios.
Jose Berrios left the game due to injury in the bottom of the 8th inning though it might have been his time to go regardless. Pitching an absolute gem into the 8th, Berrios allowed the first two batters to reach base to begin the inning. Taylor Rogers was called into the game but had some command issues with a hit batter and giving up a single and double that allowed 3 runs to score.
With the game tied going into the 10th inning the Twins would string together a few hits giving them a 5-3 lead which is all that was needed for the win. Blake Parker was brought in to close out the game in the bottom of the 10th and got off to a rocky start by hitting Alex Gordon. He would strike out the next two batters and retire Chelsor Cuthbert on a weak pop-up to end the game.
Twin Takeaway – The good
It was wonderful to see the Twins put together an all-around solid game. Though the pitching ran into some issues in the 8th, Berrios and the bullpen pitched very well as a whole. Though he walked two batters, Trevor May tossed a scoreless 9th allowing the Twins to grab the victory in extra innings.
Miguel Sano continued where he left off in last nights contest by clobbering a solo smash to center giving the Twins a 1-0 lead. Jake Cave joined in on the home run fun this year for the Twinkies picking up his first of the season in the 8th. Moments later, C.J. Cron cranked his 17th on the year propelling the Twins to the initial 3-0 lead.
Twin Takeaway – The not-so-good
Jose Berrios left the game after running into some trouble in the bottom half of the 8th inning. While most likely getting the hook either way, it was reported that Berrios left the game due to a blister on his throwing hand. Though it’s not as concerning as most other injuries, blisters on the throwing hand can cause major issues for pitchers throughout the course of a season. Let’s hope it’s nothing serious or the Minnesota Twins may be in trouble losing their ace.
Overall it was a gritty performance from a Minnesota Twins club that is the first American League team to 50 wins on the season. While the Twins secured a split with the Royals at a minimum in this four-game set, they go for the series win tomorrow afternoon. Michael Pineda is back on the hill to face Royals starter Homer Bailey.