First, it was Royce Lewis’s hamstring. Then, it was Pablo López’s. This time, it looks like it could be Matt Wallner’s.
With two outs in the bottom of the first inning, Wallner grounded the ball softly to third baseman Mark Vientos for a single on a check swing.
Unfortunately for the Twins, Wallner was limping as he ran through the bag and left the game after talking briefly with manager Rocco Baldelli and team trainer Nick Paparesta. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. pinch ran for Wallner and took over the right field position.
It’s another potentially brutal blow for a team that has already had crucial injuries this season, especially given that Wallner has been one of the best hitters on the team so far. There are no official reports on his apparent leg injury, so Twins fans still have some hope.
Wallner has reached base in 13 of his last 15 games, ranks first on the team in on-base and slugging percentage, and holds a solid .263/.373/.474 slash line.
Wallner leaving the game made matters for a team struggling significantly even worse. The Twins have a collective batting average of .203, 27th in MLB, and an OPS of .601, 26th. To further prove their offense is among the worst in the league this season, they have an xWOBA of .299, 27th. The Twins’ record is 5-12, and things keep looking bleaker for the organization.
Twins and Mets having back-and-forth game
The Mets grabbed a 1-0 lead on a home run from Pete Alonso with two outs in the top of the first inning.
To add insult to injury, Keirsey popped the ball up to starting pitcher Trevor Megill for the second out of the third inning with runners on the corners. However, Francisco Lindor made a huge defensive mistake, as Ty France hit a routine ground ball that deflected off the Mets shortstop’s glove, allowing a run to score and tie the game. The Twins then went up 2-1 on a softly-hit RBI single up the middle from Carlos Correa, who had just two hits in his last 17 at-bats before the clutch hit.
However, the Twins quickly lost their lead after Juan Soto hit a 351-foot home run to right field off Twins starting pitcher Bailey Ober in the top of the fourth inning, tying the game 2-2.