Tuesday’s 4-1 win was almost a carbon copy of Monday’s loss.
The Twins took an early lead, they added to it and then once again they sent reliever Griffin Jax to the mound with two men on and one out in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Jax fanned a batter, induced a slow roller that infielder Brooks Lee could not handle — thereby loading the bases — but Jax fielded the next grounder himself and stomped on first base to close out the game and earn his ninth save.
“Great win for our entire team,” Twins Manager Rocco Baldelli told the Associated Press. “Everywhere you looked — in the dugout, out in the bullpen — everyone played a part in some small way. There’s a lot to clap about and talk about.”
It was the Matt Wallner and Byron Buxton show early in the game to give the Twins a 2-1 lead, but the big blow came in the eighth inning when Willi Castro drilled a two-run shot to salt the game away at 4-1. The Twins scored four runs on eight hits, getting half of them from Wallner and Castro.
Pitching was huge on Tuesday, too.
Starter Daniel Zeublon Matthews, better known as Zebby, didn’t last long, but he was still effective, allowing just a run across four-plus innings with a walk and five strikeouts.
Rocco went to the bullpen to close out the fifth inning, calling on newcomer Cole Irvin, who was recently claimed off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles. Irvin secured the final out in the inning, then was followed by four more relievers who continued to pitch scoreless baseball.
The win went to Cole Sands, who improved to 9-1; Ronny Henriquez picked off a runner at first base; Jhoan Duran secured four outs; and Jax picked up the aforementioned save.
Bailey Ober gets the ball Wednesday.
Extra innings…
-The Twins are 80-71.
-Although the Twins won, so did the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday, who beat the Kansas City Royals 3-1 in extra innings. That means the Twins continue to lead Motown by 1.5 games for the final wild card spot in the American League.
-The arrival of Oregon man Irvin means that Jorge Alcala was sent down to Triple-A St. Paul, much to the surprise and shock of Twins Territory, according to a check of social media.
Alcala throws hard, but he had pitched to an 8.22 ERA over the last 15 games, according to MLB.com. In Irvin, the Twins also fill a hole for a left-handed reliever.
-The Seattle Mariners fall three games back of the final wild card spot after they were clobbered 11-2 by the New York Yankees. Tough to be playing the Yankees right now.
-Twins TV play-by-play guy Cory Provus said on X following the game that he was “never worried.” Ice in the veins, sir.