After Matt Shoemaker made the worst start in Twins history on Friday — ultimately resulting in a 14-5 loss — Jose Berrios got the Twins back on track Saturday with a 5-4 win, then the Twins edged the Royals again Sunday, 2-1, to split the four-game series.
Sunday’s win wasn’t the most productive affair — the Twins went 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base — but after newcomer, Bailey Ober, allowed a run over four innings, the Twins bullpen allowed only one hit the rest of the way; five scoreless innings for the one-run win.
The triple play in the third inning — the Twins’ 15th in team history — didn’t hurt. The play went 3-6-4. First baseman, Miguel Sano, caught a popped up bunt, then threw to shortstop, Andrelton Simmons, to get the force at second base, then he threw to second baseman, Nick Gordon, covering first.
The Twins now head home for a six-game home stand versus the New York Yankees and Houston Astros. For the Yanks, the Twins will send Michael Pineda, Randy Dobnak and J.A. Happ to the mound. I can’t say that trio of starters gives me much confidence at the moment, especially against the Twins’ kryptonite.
Extra innings…
-Jose Berrios improved to 6-2 with a 3.58 ERA.
-Sunday’s win went to reliever, Luke Farrell, and the save to closer, Taylor Rogers, his fifth.
-Rookie second baseman, Nick Gordon, son of ex-big leaguer, Tom Gordon, had three hits, including a home run in the Twins’ 14-5 loss, the only bright spot in the game.
-Random box score. Before major league baseball came to its strike-shortened end in 1994, the Twins swept the Boston Red Sox at the Dome, including a 17-7 win on the final day of the regular season, Aug. 10, 1994. The Twins scored 17 runs on 18 hits, and got an incredible night from the one and only Kirby Puckett. Puckett hit two home runs, scored four runs, drove in seven more and walked three times to end ’94 with a .317 batting average, 20 home runs and 112 RBI — by Aug. 10! How many runs would he have driven in over a full season? Wow.
-And then there was this…
1. Nolan Ryan
2. Sandy Koufax
3. Tom Seaver https://t.co/NXhbmDm5mg— Rod Carew (@RodCarew_29) June 4, 2021
And this…
Matt Shoemaker is the first starter in #MNTwins history to allow 9+ runs without making it out of the first inning.
— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) June 5, 2021
And this…
The @Twins just turned the first 3*-6*-4* triple play since the 1980 Mariners. Only the 8th known triple play of that type in @MLB history. https://t.co/muHvEF7dwP #SABR
— SABR (@sabr) June 6, 2021