Box Score
Opener: Cole Sands 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K (19 pitches, 14 strikes (74%))
Bulk Pitcher: Travis Adams 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K (67 pitches, 45 strikes (67%))
Home Runs: Kody Clemens (12), Matt Wallner (10), Byron Buxton (21), Willi Castro (9)
Top 3 WPA: Clemens (.230), Sands (.098), Castro (.095)
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) 
The Minnesota Twins continued their quest to reach the .500 mark at the All-Star Break by continuing to take advantage of the struggling Pittsburgh Pirates. After earning a victory over ace Paul Skenes Friday night with one Trevor Larnach swing, the offense looked to make more noise with an opener and bulk pitching plan emerging on Saturday afternoon for the Twins. They needed to bring their A-Team today, and as the great Colonel John “Hannibal” Smith often said, “I love it when an opener plan and offensive approach come together.”
From Threat in the First, to Game Over in the Second
The Twins knew they were using Cole Sands in an opener role, but the Pirates didn’t realize that they would be doing the same. They sent rookie righty Mike Burrows (1-2, 4.83 ERA) to the mound and he struggled from the get go. After Sands took care of the Pirates in order on seven pitches in the top of the first, Burrows needed 25 pitches in the bottom of the first to escape a two-on, nobody out jam. In the bottom of the second inning Burrows thought he had found his groove again, after inducing a lazy fly ball to Matt Wallner to start the inning. But he then walked Royce Lewis and hit Ty France with no control of his off-speed pitches to be found. In this two-on, one out situation, Burrows finally found the strike zone with a first-pitch curveball, and 389 feet later it was 3-0 Twins and Clemens had built one more piece of his Target Field Plaza statue, featuring this epic bat flip.
The unraveling of the rookie had just begun, as Buxton was next man up and he crushed a line drive over Cruz’s head in dead center for a triple. Castro followed with the classic swinging bunt, and as Buxton scored easily Castro not only beat out the throw but induced a wild toss to advance to second. Last night’s hero Larnach walked on five pitches, setting up Ryan Jeffers for the next Twins RBI. Jeffers delivered with a single through the hole into right to plate Castro, advance Larnach to second, and end Burrow’s afternoon after giving up five runs and getting only four outs.
Genesis Cabrera came in to face Brooks Lee, who had been in a bit of an extra-base drought. Three pitches later the drought was over, Larnach had scored to make it 6-0, and Lee was reeling in the good vibes of a beautiful Twins afternoon.
Wallner came up with runners at second and third with still only one out, and he hit a missile at 102.5 mph right at first baseman Spencer Horwitz, who alertly threw home to nab Jeffers at the plate. After a Lewis groundout, the inning was finally over but the damage was done.
From Bulk Time to the Buck Truck
Adams came in for the top of the third inning to eat the middle innings for the Twins’ staff, and he continued the “in order” momentum that Sands had started. In the bottom of the third, the Twins’ bats also continued their momentum with a France walk and a Clemens rope single to put two on with nobody out. Buxton decided that today would not only be Buck Truck bobblehead day, but it would also be a cycle-watch, as he drilled a ground-rule double to left to score France and make it 7-0.
A Castro bloop single to center scored Clemens, and a Larnach sac fly scored Buxton. After failing to score nine runs in an entire week, suddenly the Twins were making runs almost annoying and distracting as the game entered blow-out land at 9-0 in the third.
Pirates Chip Away
Adams walked the lead-off man Andrew McCutchen in the top of the fourth, and after a Bryan Reynolds single the Pirates finally got on the board when Lewis allowed a potential double-play ball by Nick Gonzales to scoot under his glove, scoring McCutchen and advancing the runners to second and third. Adams settled down and escaped only allowing the unearned run. The Twins offense took the bottom of the fourth inning off, and when Adams took the mound again in the top of the fifth his first pitch curveball was well received by Jack Suwinski for a 108 mph solo homer to make it 9-2.
Wallner Injures the Upper Deck, and the Buck Truck Delivers
The Pirates put left-handed starter Andrew Haney in the game for the bottom of the sixth inning to get some pre-All-Star Break work in. With the game firmly in hand, Wallner got a chance to face a lefty and boy did he enjoy the 91 mph center-cut first pitch fastball that he received. 113 mph off the bat, and 434 feet up into the right field upper deck to make it 10-2 Twins.
Anthony Misiewicz entered in the top of the seventh for his second outing as a Twin and walked the lead-off man Cruz, who eventually scored on a Joey Bart single. The former Misiewicz, Joey Wentz, pitched for the Atlanta Braves today and pitched three scoreless against the Cardinals in a bulk role in case you were curious. But, in reality, no one cares…because Byron Buxton got one more chance at the cycle in the bottom of the seventh. And after only getting a single in the bottom of the fifth. Heaney thought he had him with an 0-2 curveball, but the Buck Truck delivered not only his first career cycle, but the first ever cycle at Target Field with a moonshot to the center field lawn to make history at 11-3.
How hot were the Twins today? Byron tried to give a curtain call to the packed Target Field faithful, and they were left wanting because Castro went and drilled a first pitch homer to the bullpen of his own to make it 12-3. One of the most amazing Target Field moments ever, and it got shortened by a home run!
Misiewicz walked the first man up Horwitz in the top of the eighth, and he came around to score as well. But even horrible relief pitching couldn’t ruin this day for Twins fans. Everything that has been great about the first half of the season was on display Saturday afternoon, and there is hope again that it might continue into a buying stance at the deadline and a playoff push by the time the summer comes to an end. As we all know, in baseball hope floats like Carlos Correa‘s injury status: day-to-day. But oh what a day it was.
What’s Next?
The Twins look to sweep their way back to 48-48 as they head into the All-Star Break. They will rely on righty Simeon Woods Richardson (5-4, 4.08 ERA) to continue his recent hot streak. The Pirates send another hard-luck loser to the mound in righty Brad Keller (3-10, 3.58 ERA) and his 1.17 WHIP. Twins fans will hold their collective breath to see if Buxton will play or be bubble-wrapped to ensure All-Star participation, and if Correa will indeed return to the lineup as he hoped after tweaking his ankle Friday night. First pitch is scheduled for 12:10pm CDT.
Postgame Interviews:
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
SAT
TOT
Misiewicz
0
0
29
0
39
68
Adams
0
0
0
0
67
67
Topa
0
0
17
0
30
47
Coulombe
17
13
0
11
0
41
Jax
22
0
0
7
0
29
Sands
6
0
0
0
19
25
Durán
0
8
0
16
0
24
Varland
0
11
0
12
0
23
Stewart
12
7
0
2
0
21