Despite tossing a quality start, the defense was no aid for Reynaldo Lopez. A costly dropped ball allowed the Twins to open up the floodgates in the 5th, scoring four runs and eventually winning 14-4.
W: Michael Pineda (9-5) | L: Reynaldo Lopez (7-11)
The Good
- Jose Abreu (1B): 1-3, HR (28), 2 RBI, run
- Tim Anderson (SS): 2-4, HR (13), 2B (23), 2 RBI, 2 runs
The Bad
- Welington Castillo (C): 0-3, 3 K, 1 LOB
- Kelvin Herrera (RP): 0.2 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
- Jose Abreu’s missed catch in the 5th inning – 8th error of the season
Moment of the Game
The defining moment of this game, which I’ve unfortunately had to mention twice already, came in the bottom of the 5th when Jose Abreu dropped Welington Castillo’s throw to first. This loaded up the bases with two outs, which is not something you want to do against a team like the Twins. As you can guess, this error was immediately followed by a Nelson Cruz two-run double and Eddie Rosario two-run single to break open the game.
Stats On 35th – Let’s Break this One Down by the Numbers
Today’s Numbers:
16.2, 68.2, 528, 50, 11
16.2
Today’s MVP in terms of Wins Probability Added (WPA) is Tim Anderson with 16.2 percentage points added. Tim doubled, homered, and was responsible for driving in two of the team’s four runs.
68.2
Adam Engel owns the crown tonight for the softest hit ball in terms of exit velocity, with some 68.2 mph content. Nelson Cruz is on the other end of the spectrum with 112.8 and 112.4 mph on the exit velo meter.
528
As unbelievable as it might seem, .528 is Nelson Cruz’s average vs. the White Sox this season. He’s been an absolute killer at the plate for the Twins, smashing 5 doubles, 8 HR, and 20 RBI.
50
Not to keep this depressing, but there’s not a lot of positives from this one. The number 50 here resembles the run differential the Twins have over the score. Minnesota’s outscored Ricky’s Boys 89-39 in 12 games so far this season.
11
Tim Anderson has been a demon at the plate all season long. After tonight’s multi-hit performance, he now has 11 for the month of August.
Looking Ahead: Afternoon Finale at Target Field
- Lucas Giolito (13-6, 3.41 ERA) vs. Jake Odorizzi (13-5, 3.50 ERA), 12:10 PM CT – Target Field
Player of the Game
[forminator_poll id=”14237″]
