The ever-elusive three-game winning streak will rear its head tomorrow.
The top of the order feasted on Yusei Kikuchi early today, with four straight singles by Ryan Jeffers, Byron Buxton, Carlos Correa, and Ty France staking the Twins to a 2-0 lead after just 11 pitches thrown by the Los Angeles lefty.
A double-play grounder threatened to dull the mood, but Jonah Bride’s second hit as a Twin was a two-out RISP-y ribbie to make it three-nil.
As Twins variously departed the basepaths, some words of espionage — perhaps tipping-related, and not in the Reservoir Dogs milieu — were exchanged in a similar fashion to Minnesota’s middle-innings ambush yesterday.
The offense totaled six first-inning hits, eventually loading the bases for a Christian Vazquez flyout that finally allowed the Angels to hit the brakes, AND catch a break, in the kind of homophonic wordplay you might not expect from a team called The The Angels Angels.
The gas stayed on in the second; after stealing his way into scoring position with his 99th swiped bag, Buck trotted home on another line-drive single from Correa that left the bat at 108 — 4-0 Twins.
Despite all the offense, a third-inning jolt from Zach Neto made it just a three-run lead for Minnesota. Perhaps sensing the marginal discomfort, the Twins loaded the bases with nobody out in the home half, with Jeffers drawing a full-count walk on Kikuchi’s second pitch-clock violation of the game. It would be the end of his afternoon after just 66 pitches.
So, on to Ryan Johnson to come out of the Angel pen. Much like discovering your late grandfather had built an escape room within the walls of an enormous novelty jelly jar he’d left you at the will reading, Johnson’s task was to get out of the biggest possible inherited jam. Buxton due up, the bags juiced, and nobody out.
But Buck would chase three straight out of the zone, and Correa would watch 95 in the zone for another huge K. France would ground out to short, completing a crucial NOBLETIGER for Ron Washington’s boys. Despite the early offensive attack, Minnesota still somehow left the bases loaded in each of the first three frames.
If starter Simeon Woods Richardson had been off his game today, the lineup’s grinding halt would have been much more frustrating. But Sim’s final line covered 5.1 innings, just four hits, an earned run, no walks, and seven strikeouts. He departed with Mike Trout due up with a man on in the sixth, and can rest tonight knowing he added an excellent start to the resume.
A Brooks Lee two-out RBI double would add some much-needed cushion (even if just a one-run pad) on a slicing sixth-inning drive just out of the reach of Mike Trout. All the while, a parade of pitchers named Brock Stewart, Griffin Jax, and Louis Varland held the Angels motionless through the later innings.
Jhoan Duran won the first ever Duran v. Trout battle to begin the ninth in a non-save situation, and got two more quick outs to secure the win.
It’s the first back-to-back series wins since August of last year, and a much-needed boost for a team with their eyes on a pivotal road trip in Cleveland next week. Looking competitive in the days leading up to that stretch is not going to hurt, and that’s what Minnesota has been able to do this week.
The series closes tomorrow, and the Twins will be going for a sneaky sweep against the Angels.
Thanks for coming, and NAZ REID, etc.
STUDS:
SP Simeon Woods Richardson (5.1 IP, 4 H, ER, 0 BB, 7 K, W)
RP Griffin Jax (IP, H, 3 K)
RP Louis Varland (IP, 2 K)
SS Carlos Correa (2-for-5, R, 2 RBI)
3B Jonah Bride (2-for-4, RBI, BB)
2B Brooks Lee (2-for-4, RBI, 2B)
DUDS:
NO DUDS! TWINS WIN!