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Red Sox 4, Twins 3: The Matt Belisle Experience

The Twins were SO CLOSE to winning this game, and then we had a couple of, ahem, “experiences” from the bullpen.

MLB: Minnesota Twins at Boston Red Sox
STOP IT EDUARDO NUNEZ! THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A SOMBER DAY FOR EDS!
Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

From the outset, this game looked like it would be a disaster. The Red Sox had former Cy Young Chris Sale on the mound, facing the Twins’ not-former-Cy-Young Lance Lynn. I thought this game would be over before the first inning ended.

Miraculously, it was not. In fact, Lynn pitched a pretty good game, going toe-to-toe with Chris Sale over at least 4.0 innings. There was no score in the game until the 5th inning when Lynn gave up an two-run home run to Jackie Bradley Jr. Lynn even went to pitch another scoreless inning after that, pitching six really not that bad innings overall against the best team in baseball. What the hell Lynn?

The only problem is that Chris Sale was better. He lasted just as long as Lynn — six innings — but gave up no runs, and struck out ten Twins batters. After Sale was lifted from the game, though, the Twins started to chip away. Max Kepler hit a double off reliever Ryan Brasier in the 7th inning, then scored on a throwing error by our old friend Eduardo Nunez, who obviously made the error in honor of our fallen Eduardo Escobar. Eddie Rosario was called out on a really bogus double play to later end that inning and I don’t even want to talk about it. Ask the Red Sox first baseman if you’re interested, because he’s probably still sprawled out across the ground.

The 8th inning was really actually extremely normal. With two outs, Logan Morrison walked, and then Joe Mauer pinch hit for Ehire Adrianza. Mauer swung at the first pitch and popped out. At that point, Molitor realized, “Oh shit, I no longer have the ultra flexible Edurado Escobar.” So then, as normally happens, Logan Morrison was put in left field, Eddie Rosario took over third base, and Mauer stayed at first.

As would have it, Rosario actually made an EXCELLENT throw (picked out by the tall Joe Mauer) while at third, and stepped it up even higher in the ninth inning by hitting a two-run double off the Green Monster. I am assuming Eddie hit that double in honor of Ed, who we all miss dearly.

So the Twins were up 3-2 going into the bottom of the 9th inning. You know what that means, right? The Fernando Rodney Experience.

Rodney gave up a game-tying home run to Rafael Devers on his fourth pitch.

But Rodney got out of it. The game went to the top of the 10th inning. The Twins didn’t score. Okay, fine. I was actually at a friend’s house watching the game when the top of the 10th inning started, not facing the TV, when she asked me, “Who is pitching for the Twins?”

I turned around. “Oh my god, it’s Matt Belisle.”

Belisle was facing Mookie Betts. No less then five seconds later, the game was over.

Sad part is — this was a close game, and I bet we could have won this game with Eduardo Escobar in the lineup. Alas...

STUDS

  • Lance Lynn - Actually kept the Twins in the game against the best team in baseball
  • Eddie Rosario - We must love our Eds, and hold them close.

duds

  • Fernando Rodney - Not the best experience. Might need more time off.
  • Matt Belisle - I’m really starting to wonder why here.

ROLL CALL!

Top Comments

# Recs Commenter Comment Link
7 Brandon Brooks [no title]
4 Brandon Brooks It's this
3 Joel Hernandez I doubt Matt Magill is human
3 SooFoo Fan I cant stop looking at it
3 Cbrolin saw that one coming from 500 miles away
3 Brandon Brooks We cannot not talk about this
3 Imakesandwichesforaliving Rosario is such a class act
2 Name-Game I love the fight the twins are showing right now
2 Lestermilk How can their be any joy left in the world? HOW CAN THAT AWFUL CHRISTOPHER BE SMILING AFTER HEARING THIS NEWS?
2 Lestermilk Im just going to say it
2 Brandon Brooks Goodbye everybody
2 Joel Hernandez Lynn did a very good job today
2 montanatwinsfan For sure, AND its probably a good business decision, still...
2 Cbrolin friendly reminder that Lynn gave up a run in 5 innings when he played Boston in June
2 Brandon Brooks I propose the following:
2 Coach Farmer Our new star third-baseman!
1 Cbrolin WHY HELLO THERE NEW THIRD BASEMEN
1 Coach Farmer Fuck their short porch though
1 dobber135 let's go 1-2-3 FRE!
1 SooFoo Fan ED!
1 Mrmumph I was just saying that! That's a HR no where else.
1 Mrmumph Hot garbage pitcher
1 Coach Farmer Yep, it was a moral victory at least
1 Joel Hernandez I probably would have wanted to get back someone like A.J Reed
1 Mrmumph That was a nicely pitched game by Lynn.
1 Stressful_Acorn Molitor really understands how to manage a bullpen
1 Mrmumph This game was at least competitive.
1 Joel Hernandez Paul was also pushing Rodney too much
1 montanatwinsfan WOW
1 Coach Farmer Why the fuck he was facing the middle of Boston's lineup, I will not understand
1 Lestermilk ROSIE FOR MVP
1 Cbrolin well that was surely interesting
1 SooFoo Fan tis just a flesh wound
1 Name-Game Oh man
1 Lestermilk TAKE SALE TO THE CAVE
1 Joel Hernandez Good inning so far
1 Joel Hernandez Who gets benched for Manny Ramirez
1 Brandon Brooks Look at the picture
1 SooFoo Fan Yeah...
1 Joel Hernandez Well Escobar was not getting the QO so better to get something
1 Joel Hernandez Not losing!
1 Joel Hernandez Oh well worked the pitch count
1 montanatwinsfan Sad news ... but let's drown our sorrows with a little Christopher Cross:
1 Brandon Brooks What a time to tune back in
1 Joel Hernandez We did it!
1 Cbrolin ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
1 SooFoo Fan Trying hard, getting on base
1 SooFoo Fan Time for some rally runs
1 Lestermilk HELMET
1 SooFoo Fan No, North
1 Joel Hernandez It's not what you want
1 Brandon Brooks EDDIE ROSARIO AND THE ROAD TRIP OF GLORY