Twins 2, Cardinals 1: Twins power past Cardinals

The Jaime Garcia vs. Mike Pelfrey match-up coming into this game didn't seem to be very promising for the hometown team, especially since Pelfrey got rocked in his last start.

In the first, Pelfrey worked around a Matt Carpenter one-out double by getting Peralta to ground out and Mark Reynolds to line out. The Twins started the first with a Dozier walk, and then Jesse-favorite Peter Bourjos robbed Mauer of a bloop hit to center on a nice diving catch. Plouffe reached first on an infield hit, but Rosario struck out with runners on the corners to end the scoring threat.

That was the last scoring threat for either team for awhile.

Jaime Garcia went to work on a struggling Twins lineup. After a one-out Kurt Suzuki bloop single, he got Vargas to ground into a double play to end the second. He kept the Twins bats quiet for much of the game, striking out four through six innings.

Mike Pelfrey didn't strike many people out today, but he was able to change speeds and get the hitters to beat the ball into the ground, and when they did hit it in the air it usually wasn't too hard. He seemed to, for the most part, be able to throw his pitches where he wanted to.

In the top of the 7th with 2 outs, however, the stalemate was broken as Jason Heyward launched a 3-1 Pelfrey fastball to deep right center, off the second deck facade for a solo home run. That was his 6th HR of the year. Bourjos then struck out to end the inning.

The Twins began the bottom of the 7th with a Dozier walk. Then, Eddie Rosario reached on an infield hit when he beat Reynolds to the bag with a head-first slide. That ended the day for Jaime Garcia, as Seth Maness came in for relief. After an Eduardo Nunez sacrifice bunt, the Cardinals decided to intentionally walk Kurt Suzuki to load the bases for Kennys Vargas. Vargas tapped a grounder to Peralta for the easy double play.

Pelfrey came out and worked a clean top of the 8th, really a great bounce back performance, but it looked like he might get tagged for the loss anyway. LHP Kevin Siegrist was brought in for the bottom of the 8th. Buxton had a decent at bat, taking it to a full count before striking out on a foul tip. Siegrist then got Dozier to strikeout swinging as well.

Things were looking pretty bleak for the home team when Mauer came to the plate. He has been struggling mightily at the plate, posting a line of .179/.270/.268 in June coming into this game. On a 3-2 pitch, Joe lifted a fastball to deep left field for a game tying solo home run! That was Mauer's third HR of the year and it came at a pretty good time.

Mauer on the timing of his home runs (one in the 13th inning, the other two tied the game): "I try to make them count when I do hit them."

— Tyler Mason (@FSNtylermason) June 18, 2015

The Cardinals turned to Matt Belisle to try to get the third out. He walked Plouffe and then gave up a single to Torii Hunter. Randy Choate was brought in to get Rosario to fly out to end the threat.

Blaine Boyer was on to pitch the 9th, and immediately Matt Carpenter lined one into right-center halfway up the wall for a double. Then, Peralta hit a ball to Dozier's left but he got to it and threw him out on a nice play, moving Carpenter to third with one out. The Twins brought the infield in and Boyer picked up a huge strikeout of Reynolds. Molina then flied out to Hunter to end the inning.

In the bottom of the 9th, Suzuki and Nunez grounded out, bringing up Vargas. To make up for the two double plays he hit into, Kennys hit a screaming line drive to right field for a home run to get the walk off victory for the Twins. The HR was his 4th on the year.

Notes:

• Rosario was originally ruled out in the 7th but replay showed he was safe and the call was overturned. Reynolds was shaken up on that play but remained in the game.
• Rosario was the one who showered Vargas with bubblegum.
• The Twins had been 0-24 when trailing after the 7th inning, while the Cardinals were 34-0 when leading after the 7th.
• DANCE PARTY

The Twins are now 35-28, and they'll welcome the Cubs to Target Field for their next series.

Comment of the Gamethread

OK, Kennys, you can makeup for being terrible with one swing. -NoahRJ

STUDS:

Joe Mauer, Kennys Vargas, Mike Pelfrey

DUDS:

WHAT ARE DUDS?

ROLL CALL: