What can’t this rookie do?
Three months removed from the game because of a broken forearm and yet Twins infielder Luke Keaschall continues to hit, drive in runs and now you can add “big moments” to his curriculum vitae after he hit a game-winning, walk-off blast in the bottom of the 11th inning on Sunday to edge the Kansas City Royals, 5-3.
It’s back-to-back series wins for the Twins since they took two of three games from the Cubs and Pirates about a month ago.
You know what would really establish his legacy? If Keaschall goes into Yankee Stadium and leads the Twins to a three-game sweep of the Bronx Bombers. Wouldn’t that be incredible? One can dream, I guess.
Zebby Matthews gets the ball on Monday against those Yanks.
Extra innings…
–The Twins are 56-61.
–Seven pitchers got the job done on Sunday. Starter Jose Urena was not sharp as he walked four batters across three innings, but he limited the damage to one run before he exited the game. Six hurlers followed him, finally ending with Michael Tonkin, who pitched two scoreless frames with two walks and two whiffs to earn the win.
–Keaschall’s line: Three hits in five trips to the plate, including the dinger and a double, a run scored and two runs driven in. He also extended his hitting streak to 11 games.
–Catcher Ryan Jeffers extended his hitting streak to 12 games.
–Sunday’s game was brought to us by Roku, which paired regular Twins color analyst Justin Morneau with a voice I did not recognize. It’s too bad because the call of Keaschall’s 11th-inning homer was pretty underwhelming. Dan Gladden’s call on the radio was a little better, but what it really needed was the full-throated, full-monty blowout that only Cory Provus can provide. Sure would have enjoyed hearing Provus lose his mind.
–Sunday’s scoring was started by Twins rookie Ryan Fitzgerald. His first major league hit just happened to be a two-run dinger.
–Ex-Twin Sonny Gray has fallen to earth a bit after he was 7-1 for the Cardinals in early June with a 3.35 ERA. Gray won on Sunday, but he’s now 11-5 with a 4.06 ERA. He allowed eight earned runs to the Diamondbacks on July 19. That’ll change the trajectory of an earned run average.