This was a tough loss.
Tyler Duffey was pretty good for 4 innings, only surrendering a lead-off HR to Matt Den Decker. He left the game in the 5th after being hit in the shoulder by a line drive off of Matt Den Decker.
As for the Twins offense, they were able to manufacture a run off a Buxton double (buxtouble?), who came in later on an Eduardo Nunez single in the 3rd. The bats were relatively quiet after that, until the 8th inning. Joe Mauer hit a pinch-hit single, then Nunez hit a high chopper to SS for a single.
The next plate appearance was good enough to warrant a paragraph. Put simply though: Dozier had a nice rip. Strasburg, well over 100 pitches, was still hitting 95 mph on his fastball as he battled Brian Dozier. A strike followed by 3 balls set Brian up with a hitter's count. Strasburg came back, though, and blew a fastball by him to bring the count to 3-2. The next pitch was a slider that the entire crowd thought was a swing and a miss, but Dozier caught a piece for the foul. Strasburg then challenged Dozier with a fastball but Dozier was ready for it and turned it around, but it hooked foul. The next fastball, though, Dozier cranked for a 3 run HR. 4-1 Twins.
And then the Nationals got 2 runs off of Trevor May in the bottom of the 8th. And then Bryce Harper hit a pinch hit HR in the bottom of the 9th off of Kevin Jepsen. Tie game, 4-4, we went to extras.
Nothing much happened in the next 5 innings. The Twins had some chances, the Nationals had some chances, but no runs scored let's just put it at that. Fernando Abad pitched out of a tough spot in the 10th and struck out the side in the 11th. Ryan O'Rourke pitched scoreless 12th, 13th, 14th, and 15th innings.
Finally, the Twins knocked in a run on a Miguel Sano single in the top of 15th inning. Michael Tonkin replaced O'Rourke in the bottom of the 15th with 2 outs, after Ryan had walked Espinosa. With pitcher Oliver Perez batting, Espinosa stole second base. Perez layed down a bunt, and John Ryan Murphy overthrew Joe Mauer, allowing Espinosa to score the tying run.
The Twins went quietly in the top of the 16th, and then Chris Heisey hit a solo-hr in the bottom half to end the game, which lasted nearly 6 hours.
This was painful. The Twins go home to face the Indians who just got done sweeping the Tigers.
Good night.
ROLL CALL:
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