MINNEAPOLIS -- If the Utility Players Hall of Fame existed, video of the last three innings of Sunday’s Twins-Cardinals game would be enshrined there.
Twins super-sub Ryan Kreidler’s RBI double with two outs in the eighth lifted the Twins to a 5-4 victory over the Cardinals on Sunday at Target Field.
Kreidler, who has started games at shortstop, third base, left field and center field this season, entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the seventh and singled off lefty JoJo Romero to initiate a game-tying two-run rally.
Then, with two outs and nobody on in the bottom of the eighth, Luke Keaschall doubled off George Soriano (3-1). Kreidler followed with a drive to the gap in left-center field that easily scored Keaschall for the go-ahead run.
It was a rare opportunity for the right-handed-hitting Kreidler to face a tough righty pitcher, and he made the most of it.
“Just trying to be on the heater,” Kreidler said of his approach against Soriano. “Threw me a changeup, which I didn't really expect, and then gave me a good slider to hit late. So that was nice.”
Kreidler also contributed with his glove, making the defensive play of the game in the top of the ninth. José Fermin led off with a grounder up the middle against Yoendrys Gómez. Racing over from shortstop, Kreidler made a diving grab and a quick throw to first base that Royce Lewis dug out of the dirt like a guy who’s been playing the position for years, rather than just the past couple of weeks.
“I gave Royce a lot of credit,” Kreidler said. “It’s not an easy play, and I throw a tough sinker sometimes, and he dug it out for me.”
Twins manager Derek Shelton heaped praise on both ends of the exchange.
“It’s not easy to come in a game late in the game and make a play like that, and he did a really good job,” Shelton said. “No thought process at all about leaving his feet and again, on the flip side, Royce made a really nice pick.”
Shelton began his postgame comments with more praise for starter Taj Bradley, whose final numbers might not seem like much of an upgrade from his past four starts. But he certainly passed the eye test, pitching into the seventh inning for the first time since April 29.
“What he did for us, to be able to bounce back, it’s so exciting to see,” Shelton said. “The story of this game for me is Bradley.”
Bradley gave up four runs on five hits with one walk and seven strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. The most promising stat there is probably the one walk, after he issued eight free passes over his last nine innings.
In four starts since he returned from the injured list, Bradley allowed 14 earned runs on 22 hits and 12 walks in just 18 innings pitched. But on Sunday, Bradley cruised through the first five innings, allowing just two hits with no walks and five strikeouts.
“The stuff was electric today. The split was back. We didn’t see the arm side misses that we’ve seen before. I give him a ton of credit,” Shelton said. “I think he simplified it back down and I think we saw the guy that we really like tonight.”
Bradley agreed that a simple approach was part of his turnaround.
“There was some light at the end of the tunnel I'd been looking for these past three outings,” said Bradley, who’s ostensibly the Twins’ No. 2 starter. “Just attacking hitters and knowing I'm getting strike one early and then finishing them off when I can.”
The Twins (33-40) took two of three from the NL Central contender Cardinals (38-31). Each game featured multiple comebacks by the Twins, not to mention a red-hot Byron Buxton, who went 8-for-12 with three doubles, two homers, four runs scored and six RBIs in the series.
The Twins now hit the road with some momentum as they are set to face Texas and Arizona before returning home against the Dodgers on June 22.
“I think the offense has been dialed,” Kreidler said. “I mean, it helps that we have Byron at the top absolutely mashing. But I think it's been one through nine -- really one through 13 -- ready to go every night, so just kind of all hands on deck.”