Twins 7, Royals 6: An ugly win is still a win

Rocco Baldelli trotted out his first “getaway day” line-up of the year, but the offense still provided some pop. Unfortunately, Kyle Gibson, who hasn’t pitched yet this season, wasn’t able to pitch very deep into the game.

The two teams swapped runs in the first couple innings, with Adalberto Mondesi tripling in the bottom of the first. He was driven in by Alex Gordon, before the Twins got out of the inning. In the top of the second, Minnesota scored on a double by Eddie Rosario and a Willians Astudillo ribbie.

Our Twinkies took the lead in the fourth, scoring two more runs. Mitch Garver doubled, and took third on an error, plating La Tortuga, before Ehire Adrianza drove Mitch! in with a sac fly.

In the fifth, however, the home team came blazing back. Billy Hamilton took a 2-out walk, and stole second, scoring on a Whit Merrifield single. Pesky Adalberto Mondesi singled to put two ducks on the pond, and noted Twins Killer Alex Gordon hit a jack off Gibson to take a 4-3 lead for the Royals. Jorge Soler reached on a Jorge Polanco error, and both Ryan O’Hearn and Chris Owings singled to score another before the inning came to a merciful conclusion at the hands of reliever Adalberto Mejia.

The Twins would get one back in the sixth inning, when Mitch Garver drove The Turtle in again. In the eighth, Garver singled again, and a Tyler Austin double put two runners in scoring position. Max Kepler Keppled, and hit a scorcher to left field to tie the ball game.

In the ninth, Nelson Cruz took a walk, and was replaced on the basepaths by Byron Buxton. The speedy Buck stole second, and then scored the go-ahead run on a clutch single by Eddie Rosario.

The rest, as they say, is history.

ROBOT ROLL CALL:

STUDS:

Willians Astudillo: 3-for-4, 2 runs scored, RBI

Mitch Garver: 3-for-4, 2 runs scored, 2 RBI

Eddie Rosario: 2-for-4, RBI, BB

Nelson Cruz: 0-2, 2 BB

Twins Bullpen: NO RUNS GIVEN UP!

DUDS:

Nope, its a TWINS WIN!!!