Minnesota 4, Oakland 3: Twins players love their moms enough to win

The Minnesota Twins have not won a game on Mother’s Day since 2014, beating the Detroit Tigers. Joe Mauer was the DH, Josmil Pinto was behind the plate, and Glen Perkins shut the door to secure the win. This year, the mothers of Twins players sat in anguish, awaiting the results of this year’s Mother’s Day game and expecting another loss. This season, Minnesota drew the Oakland Athletics for this special day and were looking to sweep them out of Target Field after winning the first two games of the series.

The two teams traded runs in the first few innings before trading goose eggs throughout the rest of the game. The first inning saw Twins starter Chris Paddack strike out the first two batters, giving all Twins moms hope for a W. However, Sean Murphy, Seth Brown, and Chad Pinder strung together three singles (with a wild pitch thrown in for good measure) to get the Athletics up 1-0. Twins mothers sat nervously - their kids were already losing!!

The Twins came to tie the game in the second inning. Gary Sanchez hit a ball down the right field line and it jumped into the crowd for a ground-rule double. Nick Gordon moved him over to third on a ground-out and Gio Urshela hit a fly ball to center field to bring in Sanchez. Twins mothers have hope!

Oakland hitters retaliated with a couple of runs in the top of the third. Paddack allowed a single and a double before leaving the game with RIGHT ELBOW INFLAMMATION. If you would like to panic at this news, please do so now. Acting manager Jayce Tingler called upon Cody Stashak to take over. Seth Brown took advantage of the situation and the old saying, “Inherited runners will haunt,” driving in both inherited runners in on a single, giving the Athletics a 3-1 lead. Twins mothers are now five beers in and pissed off.

Twins players noticed their inebriated mothers and decided to take action. Alex Kirilloff? Singled! Gilberto Celestino? Singled! Max Kepler? Showing hustle and beat out the throw! Jose Miranda? RBI double! Jorge Polanco? Two-RBI single! Minnesota took a one-run lead, 4-3. Twins mothers? Excited!!

Twins mothers watched with glee as Stashak (2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 K), Caleb Thielbar, Joe Smith, Tyler Duffey, and Emilio Pagan (combining 4 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 5 K) held the Athletics back for yet another one-run win. Kudos to Celestino and Royce Lewis for some outstanding defensive plays. The Twins mothers beamed with joy: Their kids won the game for them for the first time in eight years.

The tWIMs means that they have swept three series this season and move on up to an 18-11 record.

Twins 4, Athletics 3
W: Cody Stashak (3-0)
L: Daulton Jefferies (1-5)
S: Emilio Pagan (4)

STUDS

• Gilberto Celestino: 3-for-3
• Jorge Polanco: 1-for-2, 2 RBI, BB, K
• Twins pitchers
• your mom since it’s Mother’s Day

DUDS

• Per the bylaws of Twinkie Town grandfathered in from the gobbeldygook from yesteryear and the like, there are no duds as the Twins win.

COMMENT OF THE GAME THREAD
mefoolonhill: “Pagan creates too much anxiety”
Yes, yes he does.

Minnesota takes a day off tomorrow before welcoming the Houston Astros to Target Field for a three-game set starting on Tuesday. Joe Ryan will take the mound for the local nine while the Astros will send nobody to the mound, meaning a tWIMs for game one! Tuesday’s game starts at 6:40p Central.