Twins 3, White Sox 1: Pineda pitches well; solo bombas secure a win

The Minnesota Twins lineup was tasked with facing Chicago White Sox starter Lucas Giolito for the second time in as many weeks. Giolito held the Twins to a goose egg at Target Field on Wednesday, going the distance. The Bomba Squad came into Chicago looking to flip the script and get a W to start the series and long road trip off on a good note.

An ingredient of a good win is a good outing by the starting pitcher. Michael Pineda got the call tonight and struck out four batters across the first two innings, facing the minimum plus one. His only rough patch was in the fourth inning, when Tim Anderson took a four-seamer from Big Mike over the wall in right-center field. Pineda then followed up with two more strikeouts before yielding a couple of singles to James McCann and Eloy Jimenez. With runners on the corners, Big Mike was able to induce a grounder from Ryan Goins to C.J. Cron to end the threat. After facing four batters and completing the fifth inning, Pineda’s night ended: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K.

The Bomba Squad was held in check by Giolito again for most of the time that he was on the mound tonight. However, he wasn’t his best tonight, and a couple of squad members were able to break through in the second inning. Leading off the inning, Marwin Gonzalez took a 2-1 four-seam fastball and launched it halfway up the seats in right field, and he knew it was gone. He becomes the ninth Twins player to reach 15 bombas this season. Two strikeouts later, Jonathan Schoop took his 19th homer of the year - a no-doubter off of a slider - halfway up the stands on the opposite side where Gonzalez’s homer landed. Mitch Garver would strikeout to end the threat, and the Twins would be up 2-1 after Anderson’s homer in the fourth.

After the fourth, the two teams would trade zeros for a few innings. Giolito would go through six, notching nine strikeouts, allowing two earned runs and issuing three walks. Sam Dyson would appear in relief of Pineda, sending down Jose Abreu, Yoan Moncada, and James McCann in order. Evan Marshall (not sure who this is, to be honest) faced four Twins batters in the seventh. Tyler Duffey would give me some anxiety as he allowed back-to-back singles to Goins and Yolmer Sanchez before striking out pinch-hitter Matt Skole (not SKOL like for the Vikings) and getting Leury Garcia to line out.

Marshall (the Evan, not the city in southwest Minnesota) would return to strike out Garver for the first out of the eighth inning. Rick Renteria would then start to play chess by matching up some pitchers with hitters. Josh Osich would face Jorge Polanco, who would line a single to center field. Richard then decided to bring in Kelvin Herrera to face Nelson Cruz and Eddie Rosario, each getting a single on a liner to center field as well; Rosario’s single was even sweeter as it brought Polanco in for an insurance run. Miguel Sano and pinch-hitter Max Kepler would end the inning with a line-out and fly-out respectively.

Sergio Romo came in and struck out the side in the eighth. I bet he was super pumped walking back to the dugout, as he should have. Taylor Rogers would come in and close the door with a clean ninth inning to notch another save.

Twins 3, White Sox 1
W: Pineda (10-5)
L: Giolito (14-7)
S: Rogers (21)

NOTES

• Marwin Gonzalez left the game early (Max Kepler’s pinch hit in the eighth was in his spot) with an abdominal issue.
• Gonzalez makes nine Twins batters with at least 15 homers in the season, tying a major-league record. Jason Castro is the next one that could join the club as he has 12 bombas.
• Cleveland beat Detroit tonight, leaving the Twins’ lead in the American League Central at 3.5 games.

STUDS

• Michael Pineda: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
• Marwin Gonzalez: 1-3, R, RBI, HR
• Jonathan Schoop: 1-4, R, RBI, HR
• Bullpen Barbershop Quartet (Sam Dyson, Tyler Duffey, Sergio Romo, Taylor Rogers): 4 IP, 2 H, 5 K

duds

• Mitch Garver: 0-4, 3 K

COMMENT OF THE GAME THREAD

PDXTWINS suggests Pineda starts at least a couple games if the Twins face the White Sox in the playoffs.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JI- FROM THE FOLLOWING TWINKIE TOWN MEMBERS

Thanks to everyone who joined in on the game thread tonight!