The Twins made quick work of the Detroit Tigers over the weekend, outscoring Motown 17-5 to sweep the short, two-game series.
They are welcome wins and it appears the All-Star break did the Twins some good after their pre-break 11-0 letdown against the Chicago White Sox.
Starter Joe Ryan won on Saturday, allowing one run over five-plus innings with seven strikeouts, followed by Sonny Gray who did just about the same. He went six innings with seven strikeouts with one run allowed.
Carlos Correa backed Ryan with a homer, while the bottom of the order — Jose Miranda, Gio Urshela and Gary Sanchez — accounted for six of the Twins’ 12 hits and drove in five of the nine runs on Sunday.
The Twins are off Monday and back in action Tuesday against the Brewers. Dylan Bundy gets the ball.
Extra innings…
-Although they are welcome wins, the Tigers are not exactly the New York Yankees. Detroit is now 20 games under .500 at 38-58.
-Former Twins pitcher Jim Kaat and outfielder and designated hitter Tony Oliva were inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday. MLB.com was there to capture the moment.
Said Kaat:
“We have a world with millions of people who are disadvantaged, oppressed, wake up daily to pain and suffering,” he said. “I was able to live — and still am — a comfortable life for over 83 years. I had great parents. I grew up in a great community, Zeeland, Mich. And I was gifted with the ability to play baseball. And I’m grateful for that.”
Said Oliva:
“I have a lot of family here today who came out from a long, long way,” Oliva said. “Friends who came a long, long way. I appreciate it very much. Especially those people in Minnesota. I’ve lived in Minnesota for 60 years, and Minnesota is my home.”
Oliva’s final season with the Twins was 1976 and he contributed to a 17-2 blowout win over the White Sox at Comiskey Park on July 24 of that year.
The Twins scored their 17 runs on 17 hits, getting a 4-for-4 day from Lyman Bostock (he hit for the cycle that day) and a sacrifice fly from Oliva.
“Don’t laugh, the Minnesota Twins, notably Lyman Bostock, are talking about contending for the American League West pennant again,” the Minneapolis Tribune reported. “Bostock had every reason to crow Saturday after hitting for the cycle and driving in four runs in the Twins’ 17-2 rout of Chicago.”
Although the Twins did contend that season and went 18-11 in July, they never could quite do better than third place and an 85-77 record.
Sources: MLB.com, Baseball-Reference.com, Newspapers.com