Twins vs Yankees 7-3-26

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By Troy Geary

Geary Sports & Entertainment Network

MINNEAPOLIS:

The Minnesota Twins closed out their series against the Colorado Rockies with a 3-2 victory Sunday afternoon at Target Field, using a career performance from Connor Prielipp and a timely home run from Ryan Kreidler to earn the series win.

Prielipp delivered the best start of his young career, striking out a career-high 10 over six innings while allowing two runs on six hits. The rookie left-hander didn't issue a walk and kept Colorado hitters off balance throughout his outing.

The Rockies struck first in the opening inning on a TJ Rumfield RBI single, but Minnesota answered in the second when Royce Lewis scored on a Colorado throwing error.

Kody Clemens gave the Twins their first lead in the fourth with a solo home run, his 12th of the season, before Colorado tied the game again in the sixth on Troy Johnston's RBI single.
The game stayed even until the seventh when Ryan Kreidler crushed a go-ahead solo homer to center field, giving Minnesota a 3-2 lead they wouldn't surrender.

Andrew Morris earned the win with 1⅓ scoreless innings out of the bullpen, and Yoendrys Gómez worked a perfect ninth for his eighth save of the season.

Minnesota finished with eight hits, led by Brooks Lee's two-hit afternoon, while Royce Lewis and Trevor Larnach each added doubles.

The Twins improve to 40-45 with the win and take two of three from the Rockies before opening a road trip in Houston on Monday.

By Troy Geary

Geary Sports & Entertainment Network

Minneapolis:

The Minnesota Twins needed a win, and Friday night they got one in dramatic fashion.  After watching a seven-run lead disappear, the Twins regrouped in the 10th inning as Royce Lewis delivered the game-winning hit to lift Minnesota to a 9-8 walk-off victory over the Colorado Rockies at Target Field.  The win snapped Minnesota's three-game losing streak and gave Derek Shelton's club a 1-0 lead in the weekend series.

The Twins came out with an aggressive approach at the plate, responding after being swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Minnesota collected 12 hits and built a 7-0 lead through the first five innings, putting constant pressure on Colorado's pitching staff.  Starting pitcher Taj Bradley gave the Twins a strong outing, working into the middle innings while keeping the Rockies' lineup in check. Bradley also reached the 500-strikeout milestone of his Major League career during the game.  Just when it looked like the Twins were on their way to a comfortable victory, the Rockies fought their way back.  

Colorado chipped away throughout the late innings before completing the comeback to force extra innings, turning what once looked like a lopsided game into one of the most entertaining contests of the season.

With the automatic runner aboard in the bottom of the 10th, Minnesota wasted little time. After advancing the winning run into scoring position, Royce Lewis came through with a clutch base hit, scoring the winning run and sending the Target Field crowd home celebrating.  For a Twins club searching for momentum, Friday's victory may have been exactly what it needed. The offense showed its ability to score early, the club responded after adversity late, and Minnesota found a way to finish in extra innings.

The Twins will look to carry that momentum into Saturday when Mike Paredes 0-0, 4.05 ERA takes the mound, while Colorado goes with Michael Lorenzen 2-9, 7.11 ERA.

By Troy Geary

Geary Sports & Entertainment Network

Minneapolis:

The Twins dropped the first two games of the series against the Dodgers and looked to salvage the finale with a win Wednesday night. That was no easy task with two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani on the mound. The Twins countered with Joe Ryan, who has been Minnesota's best pitcher this season. Originally scheduled to start Tuesday, Ryan was pushed back a day after feeling under the weather. In his last outing on June 18 against Texas, he pitched five scoreless innings, allowing just three hits while walking two and striking out seven in a 9-3 victory. Ryan's sweeper has been his best pitch this season, and he hoped it would keep the Dodgers off balance. Many of the casual fans in attendance were there to see one player—Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani entered Wednesday's start at 7-2 with a 1.47 ERA and had been dominant over his previous six starts. The Twins needed to get to him early if they hoped to have success. In his last start on June 17 against Tampa Bay, he pitched six innings, allowing four runs on seven hits while striking out five. So, grab your popcorn—this one had all the makings of a great pitching matchup.

Joe Ryan looked sharp in the top of the first inning, retiring the Dodgers in order on just 11 pitches. Shohei Ohtani lined out to right on the first pitch of the game, and Ryan followed by striking out Andy Pages and Freddie Freeman on his signature sweeper. Ohtani tried to match Ryan in the bottom of the inning, recording two quick outs. Trevor Larnach grounded back to Ohtani, and Byron Buxton flied out to left. Kody Clemens then worked a four-pitch walk, but Josh Bell flied out to left to end the inning as the game remained scoreless.

The Dodgers struck first in the top of the second. Mookie Betts led off by crushing a 3-2 fastball 400 feet into the Dodgers' bullpen in left-center field. It was his ninth home run of the season and the 300th of his career, giving Los Angeles a 1-0 lead. Max Muncy followed with a single to left, but Ryan retired Alex Call on a fly ball to right before Ryan Ward grounded out, allowing Muncy to advance to third with two outs. Dalton Rushing, who left Monday's game with a possible concussion, returned to the lineup but struck out to end the inning.

The Twins answered immediately in the bottom of the second. Victor Caratini led off with a single to right. After Royce Lewis struck out, Brooks Lee singled up the middle, and Tristan Gray followed with a single to left to load the bases. Ryan Kreidler then came to the plate. A passed ball by Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing bounced into the dugout, allowing Caratini to score and tie the game at 1-1 while advancing the runners to second and third. Kreidler then lined a single to left-center, scoring Lee and Gray to give the Twins a 3-1 lead. Trying to stretch the hit into a double, Kreidler was thrown out at second. Larnach struck out to end the inning, but the Twins had their first lead of the series.

The lead was short-lived. Alex Freeland led off the third with a double to right-center. Ohtani followed with an RBI single to center, cutting the lead to 3-2. Ryan struck out Pages for the second time before walking Freeman. Betts singled to left to load the bases, and Muncy tied the game with an RBI single. Alex Call then lifted a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Freeman and giving the Dodgers a 4-3 lead. Ryan Ward popped out to first to end the inning. Ohtani settled in during the bottom half, striking out the side to preserve the lead.

Ryan matched Ohtani in the fourth, striking out the side, including Ohtani to end the inning. The Twins threatened in the bottom half. After Ohtani recorded two quick outs, Lee walked and Gray doubled down the right-field line to put runners on second and third. Kreidler tried to deliver again, but Betts made an outstanding defensive play to his left and threw him out to end the inning.

The Dodgers threatened in the fifth. Freeman singled with one out, and Betts doubled down the right-field line to put runners on second and third. Ryan responded by striking out Muncy before getting Call to fly out to center to escape the jam. Ohtani retired the Twins in order on just 10 pitches, and Los Angeles maintained its 4-3 lead after five innings.

Ryan kept the Twins within one run in the sixth, retiring the Dodgers in order. Ohtani continued to settle in, striking out Bell and Caratini before getting Lewis to ground out to short.

The Twins turned to their bullpen in the seventh after Ryan's night ended. His final line: six innings, eight hits, four earned runs, one walk, and nine strikeouts. Former Dodger Anthony Banda, who received his World Series ring from the Dodgers earlier in the week, entered for Minnesota. He struck out Ohtani to begin the inning before hitting Pages with a pitch. Freeman singled to put runners on first and second, but Banda got Betts to pop out and struck out Muncy to escape the inning.

The Dodgers also went to the bullpen after Ohtani's six strong innings. His final line: six innings, five hits, three earned runs, two walks, and eight strikeouts. Kyle Hurt took over. Lee led off with a walk before Gray struck out. Kreidler flied out to center, but Larnach walked to put runners on first and second for Buxton. With a chance to tie the game, Buxton popped out in foul territory to Freddie Freeman at first to end the threat.

Yoendrys Gómez retired the Dodgers in order in the eighth, keeping the Twins within one. The Dodgers countered with setup man Alex Vesia. After striking out the first two batters, Caratini singled to left for his second hit of the game. Lewis followed with a single, giving the Twins runners on first and second with two outs. Lee chased a high fastball and struck out to end the inning.

Andrew Morris pitched the ninth for Minnesota and retired Freeland before Ohtani singled to right for his second hit of the night. Morris quickly bounced back, getting Pages to hit into a 6-4-3 double play to give the Twins one final opportunity.

The Dodgers turned to closer Tanner Scott in the bottom of the ninth. Austin Martin pinch-hit for Tristan Gray and singled to right. Kreidler flied out to right, and Luke Keaschall pinch-hit for Trevor Larnach but struck out on a checked swing. Buxton then battled Scott to a full count but struck out on a pitch in the dirt to end the game as the Dodgers completed the sweep with a 4-3 victory.

The Twins have Thursday off before continuing their homestand Friday against the Colorado Rockies. Joe Ryan took the loss to fall to 5-4. Shohei Ohtani earned his eighth win of the season, improving to 8-2, while Tanner Scott recorded his 11th save.

By Troy Geary

Geary Sports & Entertainment Network

Minneapolis:

The Twins lost the opening game of the series to the Dodgers last night, 2-1, in a pitchers' duel. The game started with fireworks, as fans in attendance saw first-inning home runs by Shohei Ohtani and Byron Buxton. Both teams were then shut down until the top of the sixth inning, when Freddie Freeman hit a solo home run that proved to be the game-winner. Despite the loss, the Twins remain competitive and are still in the thick of the AL Central and Wild Card races.

They looked to bounce back tonight and even the series at one game apiece. Pitching for the Twins was rookie left-hander Kendry Rojas. Rojas, 1-0 with a 1.26 ERA, had just returned from the injured list after missing the past month. Acquired from Toronto last July in exchange for Louie Varland, Rojas has electric stuff, and if he can stay healthy, he could be a major asset to the Twins' pitching staff.

The Dodgers countered with left-hander Justin Wrobleski, who entered the game 8-2 with a 2.72 ERA. In his last start on June 16 against Tampa Bay, Wrobleski pitched six innings, allowing three hits while walking none and striking out five. He has been the Dodgers' most consistent pitcher this season.

After a 30-minute rain delay, the game got underway. The Dodgers struck first for the second consecutive night. Rojas walked Shohei Ohtani and Andy Pages to begin the game but recovered to strike out Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts. With two outs, Tommy Edman singled up the middle, scoring Ohtani to give Los Angeles a 1-0 lead. Rojas then struck out Max Muncy to end the inning.

The Twins were retired in order in the bottom of the first on three fly balls to right field by Austin Martin, Byron Buxton, and Josh Bell.

Rojas walked Alex Call to begin the second inning but settled down from there. Alex Freeland flew out to right, Chuckie Robinson grounded into a fielder's choice, and Rojas struck out Ohtani to end the inning.

The Twins tied the game in the bottom of the second. Wrobleski recorded two quick outs as Royce Lewis grounded out to third and Brooks Lee grounded sharply to short. Victor Caratini then came to the plate. Ahead 3-0 in the count, Caratini took a strike and challenged the call, but replay showed it was indeed a strike. On the next pitch, he launched a 370-foot home run into the left-field bleachers, his sixth of the season, to tie the game at 1-1. Luke Keaschall followed with a walk, but Ryan Kreidler grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Twins' defense cost them in the top of the third as the Dodgers regained the lead. Freeman doubled with one out off Austin Voth, who had entered in relief of Rojas as part of the Twins' bullpen game. Voth then struck out Betts, but Edman hit a soft pop-up that dropped in front of Keaschall. Keaschall attempted to flip the ball to first, but his throw sailed wide, allowing Freeman to score and make it 2-1. Muncy then flied out to end the inning.


The lead didn't last long. Martin reached on an error by Betts to start the bottom of the third. Buxton doubled into the left-center gap, but Martin was thrown out at home for the first out. Josh Bell followed with an RBI single to shallow center, scoring Buxton to tie the game at 2-2. Lewis then singled to left, but Lee flied out to center to end the inning.


The Dodgers continued to apply pressure in the fourth. Call singled to lead off the inning, and with one out, Robinson added another single to put runners on first and third. Ohtani then hit a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Call and giving the Dodgers a 3-2 lead. Pages followed with an RBI single to score Robinson, making it 4-2, and Betts added another RBI single to plate Pages and extend the lead to 5-2. Edman struck out to end the inning, but the damage was done.


Wrobleski cruised through the bottom of the fourth, retiring the Twins in order.


Both teams were scoreless in the fifth. The Dodgers added to their lead in the sixth when Pages singled and Freeman doubled into the left-center gap to score him, making it 6-2. It was Freeman's second double of the game. Voth then retired the next three hitters to escape further damage. Wrobleski, meanwhile, retired the Twins in order for the fourth time.


Voth returned for the seventh but ran into trouble. Call led off with a walk and Freeland followed with a single. The Twins turned to right-hander Travis Adams. With runners on first and third and nobody out, Robinson laid down a bunt. Adams took the sure out at first, but Call scored to make it 7-2. Adams then struck out Ohtani and Pages to end the inning.

Wrobleski returned for the bottom of the seventh and allowed only a two-out walk to Kyler Fedko before retiring Martin on a fly ball to second, completing another quality start.

Adams worked a scoreless eighth, striking out two. The Dodgers then turned to their bullpen, and the Twins went down in order for the sixth time in eight innings.

Los Angeles put the game away in the ninth, scoring five runs off left-hander Taylor Rogers to extend the lead to 12-2. Former Twin Brock Stewart came on to close it out for the Dodgers.

Brooks Lee led off the bottom of the ninth with a solo home run, his 13th of the season, cutting the deficit to 12-3. That was all the Twins could muster, however, as they fell to the Dodgers 12-3.


The Twins will try to salvage the series tomorrow when Joe Ryan (5-3, 2.99 ERA) takes the mound. The Dodgers will counter with two-way star Shohei Ohtani (7-2, 1.47 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. CT.