Braves 9, Twins 7: Swept By The Worst Team In The League

16 runs, 29 hits, three hours and 19 minutes of game action. This was one ugly game and yet the Twins still nearly came out with the victory.

Tyler Duffey started for the Twins and he was horrid. He lasted just 1 1/3 innings as he gave up five runs on eight hits, leaving him with a ghastly 6.12 ERA. Michael Tonkin relieved him and did just fine until the 4th when he allowed two runs of his own and the Twins were staring at a 7-0 deficit.

However, the offense kicked into gear against Braves starter Mike Foltynewicz and the blowout became a tightly contested game. Brian Dozier and Eddie Rosario sandwiched doubles around a Kennys Vargas line-out to get the Twins on the board, and after a Robbie Grossman strikeout, Kurt Suzuki followed with his 7th homer of the season to make it a 7-3 ballgame. In the 5th, Eduardo Nunez led off with a single and moved to 3rd on a double from Joe Mauer, and with three infielders to the left of 2nd base, Miguel Sano bounced a 2-2 fastball from Foltynewicz to the empty right side of the infield for a two-run single.

Buddy Boshers came in for the 6th and did allow a run on back-to-back doubles to Gordon Beckham and Freddie Freeman, but the Twins quickly answered in the bottom of the inning. With Grossman on 1st with a single and one out, Danny Santana and Nunez had consecutive singles of their own to bring home another run. Lefty Ian Krol relieved Foltynewicz and allowed an RBI ground-out to Mauer to allow the Twins to pull within one, but flamethrowing Mauricio Cabrera came on to strike out Miguel Sano, stranding the tying run at 3rd base.

Unfortunately that’s all the fight the Twins had as they were unable to put together any other rallies against Cabrera, Chris Withrow and Jim Johnson.

WP: Mike Foltynewicz (4-4)

LP: Tyler Duffey (5-8)

S: Jim Johnson (4)

Studs

Eduardo Nunez, Joe Mauer, and Eddie Rosario (all 2-for-5, RBI, R), Kurt Suzuki (2-for-4, 2-run HR)

Duds

Tyler Duffey (1 1/3 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 0 K)