Milone Blanks Sox as Twins Cruise, 6-0

Remember earlier this week when it was all going to hell in a handcart?  And the only thing standing between the Twins and the abyss was Tommy friggin' Milone?  WELL GUESS WHAT.

Milone ruined Chicago's home opener, going 7+ strong innings and striking out 7 in a 6-0 viesctory for your Minnesota Twins.  The lefty retired 16 White Sox in a row at one point, and was only in any real trouble when he walked two in the first inning.  Brian Duensing finished the 8th for Milone and pitched the 9th as well, earning the team's first save of the year in the process.

While Milone excelled, Chicago's Hector Noesi was...no good-y.  (Pun.) The Twins could have easily won this game by double digits, as they loaded the bases thrice in the first five innings but only plated two runs, one of them on a wild pitch. Handsome second baseman Brian Dozier hit the Twins' first dinger of the year to make the score 3-0 in the sixth.  They added three more in the 9th, with Jordan Schafer's 2-run single providing the most damage.

With the Twins facing Jeff Samardzija and Chris Sale this weekend, this was as close to a must-win game in the first week of a season as you're likely to see, especially for a team that looked like it was going to be relegated against Detroit (Jesse can explain this reference if you need help).  And they won.  Yay.

ROBOT ROLL CALL

CHARTS & GRAPHS

Source: FanGraphs

Have a great weekend, everybody.