Game 32 Recap: Twins 7 – Blue Jays 6

MINNESOTA 7 -- TORONTO 6
Twins Record: 9 - 23 (5th in the Central, 30th in MLB)
Highest WPA - Doumit (1 for 2, 2 BB, 2 RBI), Mastroianni (2 for 4, 3 RBI), Bullpen (4 IP, 1 R, 5 H, 0 BB, 2 SO)
NOTES - Twins hitters drew 9 walks, 5 of those runners scored.
Fangraphs - MLB Recap
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Rain delay pushed this one into a West-Coast game time-slot, and with Blackburn going against the homer-happy Jays lineup, you could be forgiven for turning in early. If you did, you will not be surprised to learn that the Jays hit 4 home-runs (Bautista with 2) that accounted for 5 of their 6 runs. But the Twins, armed with the ability to watch Kyle Drabek and Carlos Villanueva throw lots and lots of pitches (not many for strikes), would put across a bunch of runs without hitting any balls over the fence.

Ryan Doumit, who has been hitting well (last 3 weeks - .275/.350/.549), started things off with a 2-run single in the first to erase the 1-0 deficit resulting from Bautista's first homer. Then a nice mix of walks (Mauer, Doumit, Parmelee) and doubles (Span, Willingham) in the 5th broke the game open for the Twins as Darin Mastrioanni's first big-league hit came with the bases loaded to drive in two and cap the 4-run inning.

Blackburn did everything he could to give all those runs right back, giving up 3 runs without recording an out in the 6th, but got pulled with the score 6-5. Both teams would add a run in the end to get us to the final score, with Capps pitching a scoreless ninth to earn a save.

The HR that Perkins allowed to Encarnacion was only the second time all season that a Twins reliever has allowed a run in a Friday game (3 runs allowed in 16 innings on Friday this season - 1.69 bullpen ERA). If one were only paying close attention to the games that one had to recap on Friday nights, one might conclude the bullpen has been pretty good.

8 thoughts on “Game 32 Recap: Twins 7 – Blue Jays 6”

  1. Actually the bullpen has pitched pretty well for the most part this season. But, than again, they never have to pitch with the pressure of trying to protect a lead.

    1. starting pitchers have pitcher 168 innings with a 6.70 ERA (I know, ERA is not the best stat. whatevs) 90 strikeouts. Relievers 108 IP, 3.58 ERA, 75 K's

  2. Last night, Sheenie and I were guests in one of the suites. All that food combined with a rain delay left me sleepy uncomfortably.

    After last night, I have seen as many Twins wins in person in Target Field in 2012 as I saw in Target Field in 2011 in eleven fewer games.

  3. only the second time all season that a Twins reliever has allowed a run in a Friday game

    But were any of them on an even-numbered day, Mr. Danika's Ghost Smarty Pants??

    1. the obvious solution is to have a position player start the game on the mound, then bring in an actual pitcher after the first pitch. At least on fridays.

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