After a rough four-game series against the Cleveland Indians, the Twins split two games with the Milwaukee Brewers and have won the first two games of a four-game set against the Texas Rangers, including Friday’s 4-3 win.
Meanwhile, as expected, the Tribe, after departing the Twin Cities, didn’t find it so easy to battle the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. The Tribe dropped two of three games to the Red Sox and have split the first two games in their series against the Yankees. All of this means that the Twins now lead the Tribe by 1.5 games in the AL Central.
In Friday’s win, second baseman, Jonathan Schoop, hit a two-run home run late, his 17th, and the Twins came from behind to beat the Rangers on the road.
Jake Odorizzi gave the Twins five-plus innings, but didn’t figure in the win. That fell to, of all people, reliever Sam Dyson, who improved to 5-1. Following his trade to the Twins and a very rocky debut, Dyson has pitched better of late. He worked a scoreless inning with one hit and one strikeout on Friday. Ace lefty Taylor Rogers pitched a scoreless inning as well and Sergio Romo earned his 20th save.
Jose Berrios gets the ball Saturday.
Extra innings…
-Schoop drove in two runs and Max Kepler accounted for the other two RBI with his 33rd home run. What a season Kid Kepler (first coined by Twins beat writer LaVelle E. Neal III, I believe) is having. He has shattered his previous career high in home runs (20) and appears well on his way to hit 40 or more. The Twins were right to sign him to a five-year deal before the season began.
-Kepler is the team leader in home runs, runs and is tied with fellow outfielder, Eddie Rosario, for the team lead in RBI with 80.
-Rosario has tied his career high in home runs with 27 this season.
-It continues to be musical chairs in the Twins bullpen. Pitcher Devin Smeltzer has been sent back to Triple-A Rochester in exchange for lefty Aussie Lewis Thorpe.
-And now this… apparently MLB.com changed Friday’s box score to credit reliever Tyler Duffey with the win and not Dyson.
MLB has changed Friday's boxscore: Tyler Duffey is now credited with the win, not Sam Dyson. Though Duffey said, "If Sam wants it, I'll sell it back to him."
— Phil Miller (@MillerStrib) August 17, 2019