After Tuesday’s terrible Twins loss, manager Rocco Baldelli addressed the club after the game. And whatever he said, worked, because the Twins stepped on the gas early in Wednesday’s game against the Cleveland Indians and never looked back.
The #MNTwins got a much-needed laugher today. They avoid a series sweep with a 10-2 blowout over Cleveland.
Byron Buxton continued his amazing start. Twins hit 6 homers. J.A. Happ was great.
Twins improve to 8-15.
— danhayesmlb (@DanHayesMLB) April 28, 2021
And no one was more impressive than Byron Buxton, who went 5-for-5 at the top of the order, including two doubles and a home run, to pace a 13-hit attack and a 10-2 win over the Tribe. The Twins needed this win badly and they got it.
The Twins gave starter J.A. Happ more than enough to work with. They hit three home runs in the first inning, then added three more throughout the game. And Happ didn’t disappoint, suddenly elevating himself from also-ran to ace after he allowed two runs on four hits over seven innings. Randy Dobnak also pitched two innings of scoreless baseball to wrap up the win.
Big Mike gets the ball Friday at home against the Kansas City Royals.
Extra innings…
-The Twins now return for a seven-game home stand versus the Royals and Texas Rangers.
-Who hit the home runs on Wednesday? Buxton, Josh Donaldson, Jorge Polanco, Willians Astudillo and Mitch Garver, who hit two deep shots to left field.
-Happ is now 2-0 with a 1.96 ERA.
-Old friend watch: Reliever Trevor May, now of the New York Mets, struck out the side in the eighth on Wednesday, but the Metropolitans still lost 1-0 to the Boston Red Sox.