This game started with the current Cy Young Award winner pitching like one and ended with Blaine Boyer getting more outs than base runners allowed and a Trevor Plouffe HR to win the game. Baseball is fun!
Mike Pelfrey. He was a pretty poor sport about being sent to the bullpen during Spring Training. But, he just can't get past 5 innings. Does he not realize this? I know Im not breakingHe pitched OK today (5 innings, 1 run) but seemed to peter out by the 4th inning.
Corey Kluber had perfect game material. By the end of the 3rd inning, I thought it was going to happen. He got through the first 15 batter before Arcia got a solid single. Then TWINS BASEBALL happened. Wild pitch, then a single with a throwing error scoring Arcia, then a fielders choice, then a sac bunt (with Herrmann breaking for home, then going back to third when he realized he was going to be out Santana was safe at 1st) , then a wild pitch on strike 3 scores a run, then a IBB, then a double play to end the inning.
Things were pretty quiet after that, with a couple of situations arising but fires put out.
This game seemed destined to go about 15 innings and Chris Herrmann pitching his second inning and Torii Hunter catching but Trevor Plouffe ended it with a mammoth HR to left field and the locals win 3-2.
NOTES
-According to b-r HR Tracker, this is Plouffe's first walk of HR.
- Plouffe has 9 career HR's against Cleveland. Only Kansas City (11) has given up more
-Plouffe has 37 career HRs at Target Field. That is the most. Shockingly, Jose Bautista does not have 52
-Joe Mauer was intentionally walked twice tonight. That gives him 117 for his career, which is 8th most active and tied for 86th all time (Larry Walker and Ron Cey)
-Blaine Boyer got a win today, his first as a Twin. Other notable Twins pitcher with 1 win include Vance Worley, Kyle Waldrop, Luis Ayala, RA Dickey, Jim Hoey, and a host of others.
The Indians got 8 innings from Kluber. The Twins countered with 7 1/3 innings from Pelfrey, Stauffer and Boyer. Both teams' pitchers allowed 2 runs. The Twins' lefty relievers combined for 3 2/3 innings, 2H, 0BB, 4Ks. Aaron Thompson now has a 0.48 WHIP in 8 1/3 innings.
I'm not a huge Aaron Thompson fan, but I hope the clock breaks down before striking midnight.
He is better than Tim Stauffer.
That is certainly a given.
I forgot to mention this in the Notes section, but Trevor Plouffe has 5 hits this season, 3 are for extra bases. Slash line of .143 /.231/.343 /.574
The Twins are a juggernaut.
Same record as the Yankees!!!
Better than the Giants!