The Twins and Tampa Bay Rays played seven straight games decided by one run, including the Twins’ 5-4 win on Monday and the Rays’ 2-1 victory on Tuesday.
But that all came to an end Wednesday after the Rays exploded for an eight-run fourth inning and then held on for a 9-4 win.
The Twins banged out 11 hits, including a team-tying 20th dinger from Carlos Santana, but could not overcome the eight-run outburst.
You gotta feel for Twins pitcher Louie Varland, who was one of four relievers to take the mound.
Varland has shown he can pitch at the minor-league level — he is 30-19 across the minors with a 3.33 ERA — but he just cannot find the right form in the big leagues. He served up all eight runs over two-plus innings to remain winless on the season at 0-6 with a 7.62 ERA.
The Twins try to avoid the series loss on Thursday. Pablo Lopez gets the ball.
Extra innings…
-The Twins, Royals and Red Sox are all vying for wild card spots in the American League, but no one is playing particularly well. The Royals won on Wednesday to snap a seven-game losing streak and the Red Sox have lost five straight to fall 5.5 games back of the Royals and Twins for the final wild card spot. All three teams are 3-7 in their last 10 games. Who really wants to make the postseason? Who knows?
-The Royals beat the Cleveland Guardians, so now the Twins and K.C. are 4.5 games back of the Guards in the division.
-Santana has hit 20 or more home runs nine times in his career and now has 321 total dingers over 15 seasons. He also has had an excellent defensive season at first base, including jumping high or diving to his left or right to snag line drives, and at 38, he never seems to get hurt. Please take note Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton.
-Speaking of Buxton, he is working his way back from his latest injury by playing rehab games with the Triple-A St. Paul Saints. But on Wednesday, he was ejected from the game for arguing about a pitch-clock violation. Buck has apparently never been ejected from a major league game.
-On Sept. 4, 1961, the Twins and White Sox exchanged 9-5 wins in a day-night doubleheader.
The Chicago Tribune story, with a St. Paul dateline. Huh?
“The White Sox and Minnesota Twins swapped 9 to 5 beatings this afternoon and tonight in a rare double-admission double header played before 32,576 in Metropolitan stadium. The first wave of customers in the afternoon, 20,036, watched the Twins bomb Frank Baumann and Russ Kemmerer for six runs in the fourth inning.
“Those who brought money with them for the night’s entertainment, 12,540, saw the White Sox pile up five runs in a weird fourth inning against Jim Kaat for their big advantage.”
In Game 1, Harmon Killebrew hit his 39th dinger of the season to “deep centerfield,” according to Baseball-Reference.com, which likely means he cleared the 430-foot mark at the Met. That’s a clout, people.