A five-run rally and a Nick Gordon sacrifice fly kept the Twins in the game for 15 innings on Saturday, but the team finally was undone by an infield error, which handed the Cleveland Guardians a 7-6 win in the nightcap after the Guards beat them 5-1 earlier in the day.
When did the season end for the Twins? Sept. 17, 2022.
After losing both games of the doubleheader, and the first three of the five-game series against Cleveland, the Twins are now seven games back in the division with 17 to play. In short, it’s over, Twins fans.
What killed the Twins in 2022? Injuries. When the Twins were at full strength earlier in the year they were a much better team. But without Byron Buxton, Trevor Larnach, Alex Kirilloff, Max Kepler, Miguel Sano, Bailey Ober, Josh Winder and Ryan Jeffers — and that isn’t even the complete list — they could not compete like they first did in April and May. Some of these players missed most of the season, and some like Buxton and Kepler, tried to play with minor injuries that ultimately landed them on the injured list.
Not that it matters, but Joe Ryan gets the ball Sunday.
Extra innings…
-The Twins are 72-73.
-Another Minnesota native Matt Wallner made his major league debut for the Twins on Saturday, hitting a home run off Cleveland ace Shane Bieber and scoring the only run in the club’s 5-1 loss to the Guards.
Prior to Saturday, Wallner had spent time at both Double-A and Triple-A where he slashed .277/.412/.541 with 27 home runs and 95 RBI, according to MLB.com. He also struck out 170 times, but I am encouraged to see that he also walked nearly 100 times as well. Wallner is from Forest Lake, Minnesota. The other home grown Twins are pitcher Louie Varland (North St. Paul) and reliever Caleb Thielbar (Randolph).
North St. Paul it tuns out is not a ‘burb of Saint Paul, but is its own community.
-Varland, by the way, got knocked around in the 5-1 loss. He allowed four runs on nine hits over five innings. He took the loss, his first, and now has a 5.23 ERA.
-And then there was this…
Did our interviews in the tunnel outside the clubhouse. Right after @dohyoungpark asked Matt Wallner if he knew it off the bat, Shane Bieber walked by and said “I knew it off the bat.” #MNTwins
— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) September 17, 2022
Heard the fan with the Matt Wallner home run ball wants a Matt Wallner signed bat and to throw out a first pitch at a #Guardians game. Twins have no control over the latter.#MNTwins
— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) September 17, 2022
Matt Wallner did get the ball back. Said they had to "sell the Capitol" building to acquire it.
From the footage on @BallySportsNOR, looked like the gentleman ended up with two bats, one signed by Wallner. #MNTwins
— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) September 17, 2022