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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 31, 2022 4:38:10 GMT -5
Red Sox @ Twins August 31rst 2022 830pm @ Target Field
Wacha 9-1/2.53
Ryan 10-6/3.65
Boston Red Sox vs. Minnesota Twins Wednesday, August 31, 2022 at 7:40pm EDT Written by Dave Kovaleski
The Minnesota Twins wrap up a three game set with the Boston Red Sox Wednesday at home. The Twins are hot on the heels of the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central while the Red Sox sit in last place in the AL East. Red Sox ace Michael Wacha (9-1) gets the start for Boston while the Twins counter with Joe Ryan (10-6).
Red Sox slipping out of contention This is looking like a lost season for the Red Sox, one year after they made a deep playoff run. What happened? That will be dissected and analyzed after the season. As for now, they hope to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. After getting swept by Toronto, they bounced back by taking 2 out of 3 from Tampa Bay, but they lost the first game of this series with Minnesota. (The results of Tuesday night's game were not available at the time of publication.) But the Red Sox are now in last place in the AL East, 16 games behind the first place Yankees. More importantly, they are 8 games out of the third wildcard spot.
Red Sox ace Michael Wacha gets the start on Wednesday. The right hander is 9-1 on the season with an ERA of 2.53 in 16 starts. He has 69 strikeouts and 25 walks in 89 innings pitched. Wacha got a win in his last start, beating the Rays. He gave up 4 runs on 5 hits in 6 innings with 6 strikeouts and 1 walk in the win. Wacha is 0-0 against the Twins this season, allowing 0 runs on 1 hit with 2 walks and 5 strikeouts in 5 innings. In his career against Minnesota, Wacha is 2-1 with an ERA of 4.43 and 22 strikeouts in 4 appearances. The Red Sox have a team ERA of 4.50, which ranks 25th in the league. The bullpen has an ERA of 4.53, which is 26th.
Twins gain ground on Guardians The Twins lost their stranglehold on first place in the AL Central earlier this month, as the Guardians surpassed them in the standings. But the Twins have righted the ship, winning 4 straight, not including Tuesday night's game. The streak has put them hot on the heels of the Guardians, just 1.5 games behind after Monday's win over the Red Sox. They are also within just a few games of Toronto for the third wildcard spot in the American League. The Twins average 4.41 runs per game, which is 15th in the league. They are led by Luis Arraez, who is batting .320 with 7 home runs and 41 RBI while Carlos Correa is hitting .274 with 15 homers and 44 RBI.
Joe Ryan gets the start for the Twins on Wednesday. The right hander is 10-6 on the season with an ERA of 3.65 in 21 starts. He has 113 strikeouts and 34 walks in 113.1 innings pitched. Ryan was brilliant in his last start, blanking the Giants. He gave up 0 runs on 2 hits in 6 innings with 8 strikeouts and 3 walks in the win. Ryan is 1-0 against the Red Sox this season, allowing 1 run on 5 hits with 7 strikeouts in 6 innings. That appearance earlier this season was his first ever versus Boston. The Twins have a team ERA of 3.90, which ranks 16th in the league. The bullpen has an ERA of 3.78, which is 15th.
Red Sox at Twins Wednesday, at 7:40 PM EST Clear According to Forecast.io, it's expected to be 84° F with a 0% chance of precipitation and 5 MPH wind blowing in Minnesota at 7:40 PM EST. Hourly Forecasts: Weather.com Forecast.io
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 31, 2022 7:03:20 GMT -5
Twins try to extend win streak vs. sliding Red Sox FLM
Minnesota Twins second baseman Nick Gordon was removed for a pinch hitter for with the bases loaded on Monday even though he was 2-for-2 in the game.
A night later, he faced another bases-loaded situation, and his grand slam highlighted the biggest performance of his career.
Gordon seeks a strong follow-up showing and the Twins will chase a sixth straight win on Wednesday when they face the scuffling Boston Red Sox in Minneapolis.
The Twins, who endured a six-game skid last week, have produced a strong response against a pair of struggling opponents. Minnesota is 1 1/2 games behind the first-place Cleveland Guardians in the American League Central thanks to outscoring the San Francisco Giants and the Red Sox 34-12 while batting .276 (45-for-163), well above their .249 season mark.
While Minnesota owns two close victories during the streak, it also has three lopsided wins. After opening the Boston series with a 4-2 victory, the Twins quickly responded to blowing by a three-run lead on Tuesday when Gordon hit his first career grand slam in the fifth inning.
Gordon drove in a career-high six runs in Minnesota's 10-5 win. He went 0-for-8 in the first two games of the win streak but is 5-for-9 in the past three games and is batting .312 (24-for-77) in 25 games this month.
"How about Nick Gordon?" Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. "How about what Nick Gordon's doing right now? Several good swings from him and he whacked the ball pretty good and that was obviously one of the biggest moments in this game by far.
"He's been doing that a lot for us. This one is going to get some notoriety, as it should, but he's been stepping up big for us constantly."
Boston is 3-9 since leveling its record at 59-59 on Aug. 17. The Red Sox have been getting outscored 26-11 in their current three-game losing streak and were unable to hold a 4-3 advantage on Tuesday.
The Red Sox also were done in by more mistakes as right fielder Alex Verdugo allowed a fly ball by Carlos Correa to carom off his glove for an error and Ryan Brasier hit Jose Miranda with a pitch just before serving up Gordon's slam.
"The brand of baseball that we have to play is better than this, and we know we're capable of doing it and we haven't done it," Boston manager Alex Cora said.
Minnesota's pitching staff sports a 2.35 ERA during the winning streak, and Joe Ryan (10-6, 3.65 ERA) will attempt to continue the run. Ryan began the winning stretch on Friday when he allowed two hits in six innings during a 9-0 victory over San Francisco.
Ryan will oppose the Red Sox for the second time in his career. He earned a win on April 15 in Boston when he allowed one run on five hits in six innings as the Twins prevailed 8-4.
Michael Wacha, who is 6-0 with a 2.61 ERA in his past eight starts, will take the ball for Boston. Wacha (9-1, 2.53 ERA) began this month with a pair of scoreless outings before allowing four runs in six innings during a 9-8 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday.
Wacha is 2-1 with a 4.43 ERA in four career starts against the Twins. He got a no-decision against Minnesota when he allowed one hit in five scoreless innings during an 8-1 win in Boston on April 17.
--Field Level Media
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 31, 2022 7:10:11 GMT -5
Boston Sports Info @bostonsportsinf · 10h Ryan Brasier
Last 6 games
4.2 IP - 3 HR 21.20 ERA - 3.21 WHIP
And he was one of the keepers on DFA day
Did you know…
Red Sox relievers have allowed more earned runs in just July and August than the Astros relievers have allowed in the ENTIRE season
Red Sox (July /Aug) - 139 ER Astros (entire season) - 129 ER
Scary stuff
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 31, 2022 7:11:20 GMT -5
Boston Sports Info @bostonsportsinf · 8h Red Sox last 30 losses
Runs scored: 106 Runs allowed: 252
Run differential: (-146)
Avg loss: 4.9 runs a game
Been getting just crushed
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 31, 2022 13:36:11 GMT -5
Game 131: Red Sox at Twins lineups and notesBy Andrew Mahoney Globe Staff,Updated August 31, 2022, 11:07 a.m. The Red Sox will look to avoid a sweep when they take on the Twins in Wednesday’s series finale in Minnesota. Tuesday’s 10-5 loss was the seventh in the last nine games for the Sox. Since reaching .500 at 59-59 on Aug. 17, the Sox have gone 3-9. If there’s anything for the Sox to hang their hats on, it has been the performance of Wednesday’s starter Michael Wacha, who had a pair of scoreless outings earlier this month before allowing four runs in six innings during a 9-8 win over the Rays last week. Here is a preview. Lineups RED SOX (62-68): 1. Tommy Pham (R) LF 2. Alex Verdugo (L) RF 3. Xander Bogaerts (R) SS 4. Rafael Devers (L) 3B 5. J.D. Martinez (R) DH 6. Trevor Story (R) 2B 7. Enrique Hernandez (R) CF 8. Bobby Dalbec (R) 1B 9. Kevin Plawecki (R) C Pitching: RHP Michael Wacha (9-1, 2.53 ERA) TWINS (67-61): 1. Luis Arraez (L) DH 2. Carlos Correa (R) SS 3. Jose Miranda (R) 1B 4. Max Kepler (L) RF 5. Kyle Garlick (R) LF 6. Gio Urshela (R) 3B 7. Nick Gordon (L) 2B 8. Gilberto Celestino (R) CF 9. Sandy Leon (S) C Pitching: RHP Joe Ryan (10-6, 3.65 ERA) Time: 7:40 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Red Sox vs. Ryan: Xander Bogaerts 0-3, Bobby Dalbec 0-2, Rafael Devers 1-3, Kiké Hernández 0-3, J.D. Martinez 1-3, Trevor Story 1-2, Alex Verdugo 1-2 Twins vs. Wacha: Luis Arraez 2-8, Carlos Correa 1-8, Nick Gordon 0-3, Max Kepler 2-7, Jorge Polanco 1-7, Gary Sánchez 0-9, Gio Urshela 3-11 Stat of the day: The Red Sox have been getting outscored 26-11 in their three-game losing streak. Notes: Wacha is 6-0 with a 2.61 ERA in his past eight starts. He is 2-1 with a 4.43 ERA in four career starts against the Twins. ... The Twins have won five in a row, with the pitching staff posting a 2.35 ERA during the streak. ... Ryan is facing the Red Sox for the second time in his career. He earned a win on April 15 at Fenway when he allowed one run on five hits in six innings as the Twins prevailed 8-4. Song of the Day: Jake Clemons - "Sick, Broke, and Brokenwww.youtube.com/watch?v=U49XfIqb-kM
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 31, 2022 14:30:20 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 1h Since July 1, Sox relievers have the most innings in MLB (220). They also have the highest ERA (5.69) and have allowed 43.5% percent of inherited runners to score (29th). Opponents have a .769 OPS (28th).
A big part of this is how much they've needed to pitch, how carefully they have to use Whitlock, losing Houck, etc.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 31, 2022 16:37:16 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 19m No rotation changes for the #RedSox for the brief homestand.
Hill, Pivetta, Bello and Crawford.
#RedSox will call up a pitcher and a position player tomorrow.
Wong seems like a candidate. Duran not eligible yet. Cora suggested Casas could come up at some point. They also could keep Casas around on the taxi squad to get a sense of things and not activate him.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 31, 2022 18:18:58 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 37m Alex Cora suggested the #RedSox would use their extra roster spots in September to take a look at several players:
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Post by scrappyunderdog on Aug 31, 2022 22:08:02 GMT -5
Never in doubt.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 1, 2022 3:08:49 GMT -5
Bogaerts' grand slam backs Wacha, Red Sox beat Twins 6-5 AP
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Xander Bogaerts hit a grand slam and drove in five runs, J.D. Martinez also homered to back Michael Wacha's strong start for Boston and the Red Sox held on to beat the Minnesota Twins 6-5 on Wednesday night.
Bogaerts and Martinez went deep during a five-run third inning against Minnesota starter Joe Ryan. Bogaerts added an RBI double in the sixth as Boston snapped a three-game losing streak.
''It was a pitch in the zone and he didn't miss it,'' Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of Bogaerts' slam. ''We needed that one. It's been a grind offensively for a while and to get a big hit like that, with one swing (to) score four, it was huge.''
Wacha (10-1) won his seventh straight decision, yielding two runs on four hits in six innings and striking out seven. Garrett Whitlock surrendered three runs in two relief innings. Matt Barnes allowed the first two batters in the ninth to reach but finished out his fourth save.
Ryan (10-7) gave up five runs on eight hits in five innings. He had allowed just four runs over his previous three starts, spanning 17 2/3 innings.
The Twins lost for the first time in six games but didn't lose any ground in the AL Central. Cleveland, which lost 4-0 to Baltimore, leads the division by 1 1/2 games.
''When you get down that much, it's not like you're going to come back every day from something like that, but you can work and you can try to find a way and scratch off a couple of runs and get a little closer and see what happens,'' Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli said. ''After we got behind, I was happy with what I saw from the at-bats. I was happy with the way we kept playing, and we came back at them and were a swing away from winning the ballgame.''
The Twins had won four straight games in comeback fashion.
Bogaerts and Wacha have tried to keep Boston in playoff contention, but the Red Sox had lost seven of nine coming into Wednesday. They are eight games back of Toronto for the final AL wild-card spot.
''We know the odds,'' Cora said. ''We know how it works, but I've seen teams win 20 in a row before. That can happen. We won 20 out of 29 at one point during the season. Obviously, it's an uphill battle, but we want to play good baseball. Today, overall, it was a good one.''
Bogaerts has multiple hits in six of his last seven games and is 13-for-28 over that stretch, improving his batting average to .308.
His sixth career grand slam was a liner to left that just snuck over the plants lining the outfield fence. It was the second straight game with a grand slam in the series; Nick Gordon hit one for the Twins on Tuesday night.
Two batters later, Martinez hit his 11th homer of the season.
''Down and in to guys that crush down and in, it's going to be a nice day for them if you're doing that,'' Ryan said.
Wacha has been Boston's most consistent starter. He's allowed two earned runs or fewer in five of his last seven outings.
''That's when I'm best - filling up the zone, keeping that pace going, keeping the pressure on them, getting in pitcher's counts and staying on the attack,'' Wacha said.
The Twins had scored 14 runs over the first two games of the series, but Wacha held them hitless until Sandy Leon singled with two outs in the third. Luis Arraez followed with a two-run homer, his eighth of the year.
Gordon had a two-run double in the eighth but was thrown out trying to reach third to end the inning.
SWITCHING SIDES
Minnesota claimed LHP Austin Davis off waivers from Boston before the game. Davis was 2-1 with a 5.47 ERA in 50 games for the Red Sox this season and was designated for assignment on Monday. Davis will likely join the Twins' active roster on Thursday.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Red Sox: RHP Nathan Eovaldi (right shoulder inflammation) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Friday.
Twins: 2B Jorge Polanco missed his fourth straight game. Polanco is dealing with an unspecified knee injury. Manager Rocco Baldelli said Polanco could have been available to pinch-hit if needed.
UP NEXT
Red Sox: Returning home for a four-game series against Texas, Boston will have LHP Rich Hill (6-5, 4.32 ERA) on the mound. The Rangers will start RHP Glenn Otto (6-8, 4.79).
Twins: Minnesota starts a road swing on Friday with the first of three against the White Sox. RHP Sonny Gray (7-4, 3.04) will start Friday's game and Chicago counters with RHP Davis Martin (2-4, 4.62).
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 1, 2022 3:51:25 GMT -5
Xander Bogaerts’ grand slam powers Boston Red Sox to 6-5 win over Twins; Michael Wacha strikes out 7
Published: Aug. 31, 2022, 11:02 p.m.
By
Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
Entering Wednesday, the Red Sox hadn’t hit a grand slam in quite a while. Franchy Cordero’s walk-off slam on May 22 was their last. So Xander Bogaerts decided it had been too long.
Bogaerts’ third-inning grand slam powered a five-run inning and Michael Wacha went six strong innings as the Red Sox avoided a sweep with a 6-3 win over the Twins at Target Field. Boston snapped a three-game winning streak and improved to 63-68 with 31 games to play. Enter your email address here to receive the Fenway Rundown email newsletter in your inbox every Wednesday.
Twins starter Joe Ryan stranded two runners in the first, then pitched a 1-2-3 second inning before trouble came knocking in the third. Kevin Plawecki and Tommy Pham both singled, then Alex Verdugo reached on a fielder’s choice to load the bases for Bogaerts. The shortstop delivered, launching a 113 mph missile -- his hardest-hit ball of 2022 -- that cleared the left-field wall to give the Sox a 4-0 lead. Two batters later, J.D. Martinez’s 11th homer of the year made it a five-run game.
Wacha, who got his 10th win of the year, faced his only trouble in the bottom of the third. With two outs, Luis Arraez hit a two-run homer that made it a three-run affair. From there, Wacha settled down; he struck out seven and allowed just four hits in six innings.
Boston chased Ryan after five innings, then Bogaerts tacked on an insurance run with an RBI double off Brian Moran in the sixth. Things got a little hairy from there.
A less-sharp-than-usual of Garrett Whitlock allowed three runs over two innings as Minnesota crawled within one. Arraez’s sacrifice fly made it 6-3 in the seventh before the Twins put together a two-out rally an inning later. With two runners on, Nick Gordon hit a high double off the right-field wall to plate two runs but was thrown out trying to stretch a double into a triple thanks to a good throw by Alex Verdugo. That out preserved the lead for Matt Barnes, who allowed the first two batters to reach in the ninth before inducing a fly out and game-ending double play to secure the win.
Bogaerts (2-for-5, HR, 2B) had five RBIs, his most since April 7, 2018. He homered in the same game as Martinez for the first time this season and the 25th time since they have been Red Sox teammates.
The Red Sox finished 12-16 in August.
Plawecki has 3 hits
Catcher Kevin Plawecki (3-for-3, 2B, 2 R) had his best offensive night of the season. It was third three-hit showing of the season.
Plawecki has hit 12-for-23 (.522) with two doubles in his last nine games dating back to Aug. 17.
Bogaerts breaks slam drought
Coming into Wednesday, all four of Boston’s grand slams this season came in May. J.D. Martinez hit one on May 1 in Baltimore, then Rafael Devers followed up with one on May 10 in Atlanta. The final two came in a four-game sweep of Seattle with Story (May 20) and Cordero (May 22) clearing the bases.
Bogaerts’ slam was the sixth of his career, which set a record for Red Sox shortstops. Nomar Garciaparra and Vern Stephens each had five.
Rangers up next
The Red Sox will return to Fenway Park for a one-series homestand that begins Thursday. They’ll host the 58-71 Rangers for four games. Here’s the schedule:
Thursday, 7:10 p.m. ET -- RHP Glenn Otto (6-8, 4.79 ERA) vs. LHP Rich Hill (6-5, 4.32 ERA)
Friday, 7:10 p.m. ET -- LHP Dallas Keuchel (2-8, 8.84 ERA) vs. RHP Nick Pivetta (9-10, 4.40 ERA)
Saturday, 4:10 p.m. ET -- TBD vs. RHP Brayan Bello (0-4, 7.27 ERA)
Sunday, 1:35 p.m. ET -- RHP Dane Dunning (3-7, 4.16 ERA) vs. RHP Kutter Crawford (3-6, 5.47 ERA)
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 1, 2022 3:57:46 GMT -5
Bogaerts' slam, Cora's fiery chat lift Sox to victory 2:11 AM ADT
Patrick Donnelly
MINNEAPOLIS -- It didn’t go exactly as planned, but Matt Barnes made the pitches he needed to at just the right time.
Barnes pitched out of a two-on, no-out jam in the ninth inning on Wednesday to close out a 6-5 victory for the Red Sox, preventing a sweep at the hands of the Twins at Target Field.
The Sox led 5-0 early -- thanks to Xander Bogaerts' grand slam and J.D. Martinez's solo shot in the third inning -- but the Twins chipped away, with Nick Gordon’s two-run double in the eighth cutting the lead to 6-5. Barnes, who pitched an inning and gave up two runs on Tuesday, came on to nail it down in the ninth, but the inning quickly threatened to spin out of control.
Gilberto Celestino led off with a slow roller that second baseman Trevor Story charged, but the ball eluded his grasp for an infield single. Barnes then walked Gary Sánchez, putting the tying run on second with nobody out.
The next man up was AL batting leader Luis Arraez, who already had a home run and three RBIs on the night. Barnes fell behind 2-1, but he threw a four-seam fastball that got in on Arraez’s hands, resulting in a weak fly to left for the first out.
That brought up Carlos Correa in the exact type of spot the Twins envisioned when they signed the star shortstop to a three-year, $105.3 million deal in the offseason. It also prompted a visit to the mound by Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who didn’t appear to be talking strategy in an intense, mostly one-way conversation.
The result was exactly what Cora intended. Barnes got Correa to hit a routine grounder to Bogaerts, who started a 6-4-3 double play to end it.
Cora didn’t go into detail about the mound conversation, but catcher Kevin Plawecki appreciated it.
“Whatever it takes,” Plawecki said with a laugh. “Now I know how to get Matty going a little bit.”
Starting pitcher Michael Wacha was even more succinct. “That’s the visit of the year, right there,” he quipped.
It helped the Red Sox snap a three-game losing streak as they head back to Fenway Park for a four-game set against the Rangers over the weekend, desperate to claw their way back into the playoff picture in the AL.
“We know the odds. We know how it works,” Cora said. “But I’ve seen teams win 20 in a row before. That can happen. We won 20 out of 29 at one point during the season. Obviously, it’s an uphill battle, but we want to play good baseball.”
The Red Sox will head into that series with one of the hottest hitters in the Majors on their side. Bogaerts went 2-for-4 with a walk, giving him multiple hits in six of his past seven games. And his two hits on Wednesday were arguably the two biggest of the game for the Red Sox.
After watching Minnesota take advantage of multiple miscues in the first two games of the series, the Red Sox jumped ahead by making the Twins pay for one of their own mistakes.
With runners on the corners and nobody out in the third inning, Alex Verdugo hit a one-hopper to first baseman José Miranda. When Plawecki broke for home, Miranda decided to pass on a potential double play and try to cut off the run.
However, instead of running at Plawecki, Miranda threw immediately to the plate, and Plawecki beat catcher Sandy León’s relay back to third. That loaded the bases for Bogaerts, who lined an 0-1 pitch from Twins starter Joe Ryan just over the railing in left-center field. Bogaerts’ sixth career grand slam, which left the bat at 113.0 mph, was his hardest-hit home run since Statcast began tracking in 2015.
Two batters later, Martinez blasted a solo shot to left. It was his second home run in four games, a welcome sight to the Red Sox after their slugging DH went 34 games (July 11 to Aug. 27) without a homer.
Wacha was cruising, having retired the first eight batters, when the Twins bit him for a quick two runs. León hit a two-out single, and Arraez stroked a full-count changeup into the stands in right to make it 5-2.
But Bogaerts wasn’t finished. Plawecki led off the sixth with his third hit of the night, a double off reliever Jovani Moran. Two strikeouts later, the Twins had the option of intentionally walking Bogaerts to face the struggling Rafael Devers (0-for-5, 3 strikeouts). But they decided to pitch to Bogaerts, and they paid the price as the Boston shortstop sliced a double down the right field line to drive in his fifth run of the night.
Wacha Shines Again Wacha was off to a hot start in his first season with the Red Sox when he was put on the IL with right shoulder inflammation in late June. But when he returned on Aug. 14, the righty picked up right where he left off. On Wednesday, he gave up two runs over six innings while fanning seven to win his fourth straight start, running his record to 10-1 with a 2.56 ERA.
“He’s been doing that the whole season,” Cora said. “It’s a guy that we missed for a while. The strike throwing, going deep into the games, understanding what he means to carry the load when we need to, it was another great outing for him.”
Wacha appeared to be in command from the start, pitching with confidence and keeping the Twins hitters off balance with a mix of effective pitches.
“That’s when I’m best -- filling up the zone, keeping that pace going, keeping the pressure on them, getting in pitcher counts and staying on the attack.” Wacha said.
His catcher was especially impressed with Wacha’s changeup on the night.
“It was great,” Plawecki said. “The sinker, a little tough locating it, so we were able to make good pitches down and away with the four-seam and use his changeup and his breaking ball and slider. He did a great job.”
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