Box Score
Starting Pitcher: Chris Paddack – 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K (78 pitches, 56 strikes (71%))
Home Runs: Royce Lewis (5)
Bottom 3 WPA: Griffin Jax -.803; Willi Castro -.178; Louis Varland -.106
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)
Chris Paddack had struggled over his last six starts, with high pitch counts and a failure to string together zeroes, but today he had a chance to help the team end a bad road trip on a good note. A PitchCom issue started Paddack’s day with a violation, but he got out Mookie Betts. Paddack served up a hittable 0-2 pitch to Shohei Ohtani, though, and Ohtani swatted a solo home run, giving the Dodgers a 1-0 lead.
The Twins answered fairly quickly, with a homer from Royce Lewis tying the score—his third long ball in four short games. Lewis has been fighting back from injury and a very visible slump, but in the month of July, he has a batting average of .273 and has been making more contact as the month goes on.
Paddack had a much better showdown against the Dodgers as the innings went on, even striking out Ohtani in his second and third at-bats. With the trade deadline looming, many fans want to see Paddack traded. The only problem with that is the continued pain of injuries that continue to plague the rotation. (To wit: David Festa landed on the injured list earlier Wednesday.) After his frustrating appearance after the All-Star break, this game was what the fans and the Sheriff needed, with his velocity trending up and a little more control from the release.
Through six, Paddack only threw 78 pitches, with no walks and eight strikeouts. He managed the game much better after that first inning. Paddack gave the offense the much-needed chance to get ahead on the board.
Tyler Glasnow was able to manage the game just as well from his side, though. Even though the Twins were able to run up the pitch count to 79 by the beginning of inning six, Glasnow kept everyone chasing. Lewis was the only one who seemed able to figure him out; a big strike zone did not help matters.
Unfortunately, after Lewis’s double, Byron Buxton struck out to extinguish the rally. Buxton has been chasing the ball a little more the past two games down and away, after taking Ohtani yard on Monday, definitely an adjustment from his first few games back.
Danny Columbe came out to replace Paddack and struggled, starting with a double to Freddie Freeman and walking two with no outs, giving the Dodgers a golden opportunity to put more runs on the board. Twins pitching coach Pete Maki came out to give Coulombe a breather with Will Smith coming to the plate. Smith was out on a flyball to Buxton, but after just 16 pitches and one out, Rocco Baldelli pulled Coulumbe and replaced him with Louis Varland, who has been on the mound three days in a row. While many don’t like Paddack, there was an argument for him coming out to start the seventh inning. Alas.
The Dodgers took the lead 2-1, on a Tommy Edman single, scoring Freddie Freeman, and still only had one out. But the Twins stopped the bleeding there. Only one run scored, leaving the Twins able to (hopefully) answer again.
The eighth inning started a fun Twins rally. Pitcher Kirby Yates walked Lewis, who was replaced by DeShawn Keirsey Jr. The pinch-runner promptly stole second, and walks of Brooks Lee and Buxton loaded the bases. Willi Castro hit a chopper ending in a double play from Betts, to Miguel Rojas to Freeman, but it scored Keirsey, tying the game 2-2.
Harrison Bader came in to replace Trevor Larnach and put the ball in play on the third pitch, bouncing over the head of the pitcher, to Rojas again—who missed the play, allowing Bader to reach and Lee to score and giving the Twins a 3-2 advantage.
Brock Stewart relieved Varland, but the bottom of the eighth inning seemed to drag. With two on two out, Smith was intentionally walked to load the bases. It worked perfectly. Rojas hit a pop-out to first. Crisis averted.
Ugh. Make that crisis delayed. Griffin Jax struggled in the bottom of the ninth inning. Jax got the first out, easy peasy, and it looked like it was going to be a good inning. But a missed check-swing strike call, an infield single from Betts, and two walks loaded the bases with two outs. Freeman hit a sinking liner to left field, and despite Bader’s best efforts, the ball found grass. That gave the Dodgers a walk-off win and the series win against the Twins.
It sucked.
What’s Next?
The Twins get a day off on Thursday, as they fly home to play the Nationals and the Red Sox. The Nationals continue to struggle, and the Red Sox are doing their best to continue the streak they are on in the month of July. Zebby Matthews (1-2; 6.26 ERA) will be taking the mound against MacKenzie Gore (4-9; 3.59 ERA) at 7:10 PM CT.
Postgame Interviews
Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet
