Cardinals 2, Twins 1: Kyle Gibson, pitching overall strong in walk-off loss

Despite the final outcome, the Twins actually looked pretty dominant for most of this game. The pitching was great and the hitting was okay enough for a B-squad type line up, but mistakes in the ninth inning let the game get away.

For the second start in a row, Kyle Gibson looked great. After walking Dexter Fowler to start the game, Gibson settled in and gave up no other walks and only one hit for the rest of his five innings of work. That one hit, though? A solo-dinger to Jedd Gyorko.

In fact, that one hit was the only Cardinals hit in the game until the bottom of the ninth inning. After Gibson was finished, Michael Tonkin came in and threw two perfect innings in what was his longest outing of the year so far, and Ryan O’Rourke had a perfect inning of his own.

Things didn’t unravel for the Twins pitching until the bottom of the ninth when Drew Rucinski came in. After giving up a hit, two walks, and a stolen base, Drew had the bases loaded with only one out. Interestingly, the Twins had Danny Santana come in from the outfield to act as a fifth infielder (he even changed his glove!) and the move worked! Unfortunately, with one out to go, Rucinski gave up the walk-off hit to Gyorko and the Twins lost.

The Twins’ only run in the game came in the top of the sixth thanks to an RBI single by hero Brian Dozier Joe Mauer Byron Buxton Robbie Grossman J.B. Shuck Tommy Field. Overall, Twins batters managed seven hits in the game—all singles—which was better than the Cardinals’ three hits, but it’s only the runs that count.

Well, sort of count. It is still spring training.