Box Score
SP: Simeon Woods Richardson 5 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K (75 pitches, 50 strikes (67%))
Home Runs: None
Top 3 WPA: Simeon Woods Richardson (.192); Griffin Jax (.144); Danny Coulombe (.131)
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)
After a loss Tuesday against the Marlins, the Twins entered Wednesday 1-3 on their road trip and in need of a win. Byron Buxton started things the right way, with a single. Miami pitcher Janson Junk threw a wild pitch to Trevor Larnach and Buxton took advantage to advance to second. Willi Castro singled to advance Buxton to third—so hard that Buxton couldn’t score, but extending the threat. Brooks Lee took the first pitch to right field for a sacrifice fly to cash in Buxton. Carlos Correa struck out swinging, but last night the Twins couldn’t even get one run on the board, and tonight, they started out ahead. Would that be a sign of things to come?
Both offense and defense put in the work like their lives (or at least their futures in Minnesota, four weeks shy of the trade deadline) depended on it. The Twins’ situational hitting was bleak in the month of June, but it’s a new month, a new day, a new chance to get things back above .500.
Simeon Woods Richardson had a good start to the game. He continued to look more confident and attacked the plate with each hitter. His fastball and slider got hitters to chase throughout the at-bats, and retired the first four batters he saw. Alas, Kyle Stowers (him again) caught hold of a slider inside and yanked it out of the park down the right-field line, tying the game 1-1. The umpire seemed to have an interesting strike zone, but Woods Richardson recovered after the Stowers shot and sailed.
Castro has been on fire since coming back from injury. An All-Star last season, he’s started coming back around to looking like one. In his second at-bat, he hit a line drive to right field to secure his 13th double of the season. With a lead on the bases, waiting to be cashed in, singles by Lee and Correa brought Castro around. The inning ended on a double play, but with the Twins back out in front 2-1.
Brock Stewart relieved Woods Richardson in the sixth inning, and once again, the Marlins looked to get a run in with two outs, just like they have 34 times before since June 22nd, with a line drive from Stowers. However, in a fun turn of events, the ball hit the umpire in the infield, killing the ball and the play, and the run that made it in had to come back. With Stowers stationed at first and Jesús Sánchez recalled to third, Stewart got Eric Wagaman swinging, and there were no runs to end the inning; the Twins still led 2-1. That was a much-needed reprieve for the Twins, and their nine straight losses of one-run games. They needed a break, and finally caught one.
Royce Lewis and Ty France came in to pinch-hit for Matt Wallner and Kody Clemens, but a Lewis walk was stifled when France hit into a double play. No insurance runs materialized, and in the seventh, they rolled with Louis Varland on the mound.
The Marlins put a little pressure on Varland, whom Pete Maki decided to visit only 11 pitches in, but had a one-out, two-on situation and a chance to tie up the game. Harrison Bader had been all over the outfield tonight, making insanely aggressive plays keeping the Marlins from scoring. On a line-drive single by Xavier Edwards, Connor Norby tried to score from second, but Bader fired a strike to the plate to nab him. The Marlins challenged the play that would give the Marlins a tying run (again) for interference. They lost the call and their challenge, the Twins still led 2-1.
The Marlins had bases loaded and tried one more time, but a fly ball to Bader (shocker) ended the inning.
Griffin Jax came out to relieve Danny Coulombe, and got out of the inning with a very fresh arm in 14 pitches. This week is some of the best Twins pitching fans have seen in weeks, and the offense finally showed up just enough.
Jhoan Duran shut the door handily in the ninth, giving the Twins a chance for a .500 road trip with a win Thursday.
What’s Next? The Twins finish out the series with the Marlins, with a getaway game before heading back home for their longest homestand this season, before the All-Star Break. David Festa (2-2; 5.40 ERA) will be taking the mound against Eury Pérez (0-2; 6.19ERA) at 11:10 AM CST.
Postgame Interviews
Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet
