CLEVELAND – Less than 48 hours ago, Taylor Rogers said, “our world was crashing in apparently.” But as the Twins packed up from their last game at Progressive Field this year and headed home for a pivotal homestand, that had all changed.
It’s amazing what a couple of wins can do.
Trevor Larnach and Luke Keaschall poked back-to-back RBI singles off of Erik Sabrowski in the 12th inning on Thursday, giving the Twins a hard-earned 3-1 win against the Guardians and a series split at a ballpark that has historically given them fits.
Following a 10-6 win on Wednesday, the Twins turned a four-game losing streak into a series split and a respectable 3-4 road trip, and put themselves in position to take advantage of an upcoming homestand against the Athletics and Royals.
“It was big,” said manager Derek Shelton. “Yesterday was big. But to be able to bounce back today and split the series here in such a challenging game… it’s one of the few times going home 3-4 that I think I feel good about it.”
Here are five heroes from an urgently needed and hard-earned win.
Guardians starter Gavin Williams was on another planet on Thursday, overwhelming Minnesota hitters with his high-90s fastball and filthy splitter. But Bradley went toe to toe with him over seven innings. He dodged three leadoff walks and allowed only a solo homer, keeping Minnesota in the game on a day when Williams was giving up absolutely nothing.
“In a way it felt like he left off the gas for one pitch today and it was the 95-mph fastball,” said catcher Ryan Jeffers. “Other than that, he was absolute nails.”
If you’re looking for an indicator of the magnitude of this game, look no further than Cleveland’s bullpen usage. With two on and one out in the eighth inning and a 1-0 lead, manager Stephen Vogt went straight to closer Cade Smith to face Ryan Kreidler. Shelton countered with Roden, bringing the lefty-swinging outfielder off the bench to face one of baseball’s best relievers.
Roden jumped a first-pitch fastball from Smith and drilled it into center field for a game-tying single.
“Come in off the bench and go against arguably the best closer in the game right now, or the best closer in the American League for sure, and go first pitch to tie it up, it shows you that he’s ready to hit,” said Shelton.
You could pick pretty much any reliever who appeared in the game for Minnesota, but Rogers stands out. After the Twins offense had already failed to convert with the automatic runner in the 10th and the 11th, Rogers came in to face the extremely dangerous heart of the Cleveland order.
The Twins walked Jose Ramirez intentionally, putting two on with nobody out. Rogers struck out Chase DeLauter looking, got Brayan Rocchio to fly out to right, and induced an inning-ending force play grounder from Travis Bazzana. The Twins lived to fight another inning.
They didn’t waste the chance – but they came close. Lefty Erik Sabrowski retired the first two batters of the 12th, extending the Twins’ extra-inning futility to 0-for-8. Cleveland walked Royce Lewis intentionally to bring up Larnach and force the lefty-lefty matchup. Larnach made them pay, breaking the drought with the game-winning single through the hole in left field.
Luke Keaschall followed with an insurance run and Minnesota had the final margin.
“I just assumed he was going to do (walk Lewis),” Larnach said. “Even before I was even on deck. I was in the hole, I had everything ready because I was going to walk up there, I expected it.”
If this was the first Twins game you watched this week, you might not have known Anderson’s name. You do now. The rookie righty out of Florida State was the choice for the save opportunity in the fifth appearance of his Major League career.
He struck out Rhys Hoskins and got Gabriel Arias to ground out, bringing up Patrick Bailey. He had to endure a lengthy review when the Guardians challenged a potential hit batter, walked Bailey, then got Daniel Schneeman to pop up to end it.
“It’s an honor to get the opportunities when they come,” said Anderson. “You’ve got to try and deliver to the best of your ability when you get those opportunities.”