White Sox 9, Twins 8: Groundhog Day

This game started off weird, got crazy, and ended feeling all too familiar.

The Twins kicked off the scoring with the ol’ “load the bases with one out in the first inning and then hit into a double play except upon review it isn’t a double play because the shortstop made the tag with his glove when the ball was in his hand so instead a run scores”. 1-0, good guys.

The White Sox answered back in the bottom of the first, scoring a run on two hits with Jose Abreu’s double bringing home Tim Anderson. Joe Ryan did not have his best stuff today from the start, but would battle through four innings, giving up two earned (plus one run that was unearned because of an error he made) (I’ve always thought runs that score after a pitcher’s own error should count as earned). All tied up.

In the second, the Twins got the lead right back, with Ryan Jeffers doubling in Gio Urshela and certified stud Luis Arraez knocking in Jeffers. 3-1, Twins.

In the bottom of the fourth, Lazarus Eloy Jimenez ruined Joe Ryan’s day by hitting a two-run bomb and tying the game up. Ryan would finish the inning before hitting the showers. All tied up.

Top 5: Jorge Polanco drops a two-run dong into the stands, scoring Luis Arraez and putting the Twins up by two (again). 5-3, good guys.

In the bottom of the 5th, The Worst Reliever In Baseball (TM) entered for the Twins, and gave up a two-run bomb (as he does) to Luis Robert. All tied up.

The name of this recap should've been "bring it on down to Polanco-ville" as Jorge mashed his second tater of the game in the 7th, putting the Twins back up 6-5.

Unfortunately, one of the good relievers for the Twins also struggled today, with Griffin Jax giving up a game-tying single to Eloy Jimenez in the bottom of the 7th.

Fortunately, Gio Urshela decided to be very clutch once again and give the Twins another 2-run lead on a 2-run jack, scoring Jose Miranda. 8-6, Twins.

Unfortunately, Rocco experimented with Tylor Megill pitching in late-game high-leverage this game, and Andrew Vaughn made him pay with a game-tying home run.

Respective relief aces Liam Hendriks and Jhoan Duran pitched scoreless ninth innings for their squads, and Manfredball occurred. Speedster Nick Gordon never got a chance to run with Jose Ruiz allowing only a walk before getting a strikeout and a double play.

Then Rocco made a real head-scratcher. Duran was presumably going to come back out for the 10th after only throwing 9 pitches in a dominant inning, right? Wrong. Young Jovani Moran entered and got no outs, allowing Manfredrunner Adam Engel to score. Ballgame.

I am most definitely in game recap Groundhog Day- the Twins have been walked off on 11-10, 7-6, and 9-8 on the last three Wednesdays. The least they could do is get walked off on 1-0 so I didn't have so much to write about, right?

*STUDS*

Luis Arraez: 4-5, 2 R, 1 RBI

Jorge Polanco: 2-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, 1 BB

Gio Urshela: 3-5, 1 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI

*DUDS*

Every Pitcher not named Jhoan Duran or Caleb Thielbar

Especially you, Emilio

Byron Buxton: 0-5

Nick Gordon: 0-5

*COTG*

Take it away, Uncle Lincoln:

"Options:

1. Lose the game

OR

2. Force Manfredball

This is how you know you’ve made poor life-choices."