Box Score
SP: Joe Ryan 7 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K (88 pitches, 57 strikes (65%))
Home Runs: N/A
Bottom 3 WPA: Brooks Lee (-.118), Byron Buxton (-.116), Trevor Larnach (-.114)
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) 
The Twins continued their last road trip before the All-Star Break by taking their talents to South Beach. Still dizzy from Tarik Skubal and a series loss to the Tigers, the Twins hoped to get healthy again both on the roster (Royce Lewis returned) and in the standings (the Marlins were 17-24 at home heading into Tuesday, but winners of seven in a row overall). Joe Ryan pitched six scoreless in a victory against Seattle in his last outing, but he faced another righty in Miami’s Edward Cabrera—who did his best Skubal impression. Could the Twins support their potential All-Star pitcher in this must-win road contest? Or would the Twins offense make Cabrera look like a Cy Young candidate?
Marlins Strike First, Royce Looks Good
The Twins managed nothing off of Cabrera to start the game, and Ryan looked to be cruising right along as well. Ryan seemingly hit Kyle Stowers with an 0-2 fastball, but it was overturned and ruled a foul ball. Then, the Twins immediately wished they had kept their mouths shut. Stowers took a 1-2 splitter that didn’t split deep to right, to stake Cabrera and the Marlins to an early 1-0 lead.
The Twins thought that they were about to break even in the top of the third inning, when the newly reactivated Royce Lewis doubled off of the glove of third baseman Connor Norby with one out. The issues that plagued the Twins throughout June continued right on into July, however, and Lewis was left stranded at second after strike outs of Christian Vazquez and Byron Buxton.
Pitching Dominance
After Lewis’s double in the top of the third, no Twins or Marlins batter reached base until Xavier Edwards singled with one out in the bottom of the sixth inning. Ryan and Cabrera were dominant throughout the game, The previously red-hot Brooks Lee had a chance to drive in Willi Castro with two out in the seventh after Castro stole second to get into scoring position, but he struck out swinging and earned the team-low WPA for his efforts because of it. Cabrera fanned six, surrendering only two hits, and Ryan fanned four and surrendered four small hits and one big one, as both starters completed seven innings, sending the game into the eighth inning with the Marlins hanging onto their 1-0 lead.
Anthony Bender replaced Cabrera in the top of the eighth, and with one out Lewis came up to the plate in hopes of tying the game. What he got was two straight hanging off-speed pitches. A comfortable Lewis has sent pitches as poor as those flying into the seats for hero shots in the past, but tonight, he popped them straight up and back two rows deep behind home plate. Baseball is a game of inches, but its also a game of confidence and momentum. The Twins have neither right now, and it shows.
Buxton is an All-Star Center Fielder, but the Twins Offense is Minor League
Louis Varland took over in the bottom of the eighth, and after turning a nifty double play on Edwards to get the first two outs of the inning Varland surrendered a moon shot to deep left center. Buxton drifted back, and back, and back, and couldn’t jump high enought to catch the ball, but he did managed to “bring it back” into the field of play, turning a potential homerun into a triple. After an intentional walk to Otto Lopez, Varland took on the defensive replacement catcher Nick Fortes. Fortes took that slight, and punched an RBI single in front of Matt Wallner in right to make it 2-0 after all.
In wicked irony, the Twins’ last hope was against former “not good enough to be a Twin” Ronny Henriquez, who is sporting a 1.25 WHIP and 2.93 ERA across 40 innings for the Marlins this season. Henriquez struck out Buxton looking, Trevor Larnach on a foul tip strike out, and Castro on a fly ball to slam the door on the second shut-out loss in a row for the reeling Twins.
What’s Next?
The Twins look to rebound in Miami Wednesday night. Minnesota will send righty Simeon Woods Richardson (3-4, 4.63 ERA) out in search of win number four, while the Marlins will send righty Janson Junk (Yes, that’s his name, and he’s 2-0, with a 3.73 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 5:40 pm CDT.
Postgame Interviews
Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet
FRI
SAT
SUN
MON
TUE
TOT
Wentz
0
48
0
0
0
48
Varland
15
0
0
0
19
34
Topa
0
0
30
0
0
30
Jax
23
0
0
0
0
23
Stewart
0
0
14
0
0
14
Sands
0
12
0
0
0
12
Durán
9
0
0
0
0
9
Coulombe
6
0
1
0
0
7