The Minnesota Twins suffered a costly loss in extra innings, as mistakes from Joey Gallo and Donovan Solano proved to be pivotal in the game. However, despite acknowledging their errors, the Twins were relieved that their eventual win kept the mistakes from being too damaging.
In the 11th inning, Gallo, who was pinch running for Christian Vázquez and serving as the extra-innings runner on second base, made a misjudgment when he tagged up on Matt Wallner’s foul popup near the Twins dugout. Texas Rangers’ first baseman Nathaniel Lowe made a remarkable play by catching the ball while stretching over the dugout rail. Gallo initially started running towards third base, hoping that Lowe couldn’t recover in time, but eventually changed his mind and hurried back to second base. Unfortunately for Gallo, Lowe easily threw him out.
In the subsequent inning, Donovan Solano and Michael A. Taylor were on second and third base respectively when Jorge Polanco hit a grounder to third baseman Ezequiel Duran. Taylor managed to score, but Solano made the mistake of running into an out instead of holding his base. If Solano had stayed at second, the Twins could have potentially scored the winning run when Max Kepler followed with a single. However, the inning ended with Carlos Correa hitting into a double play.
Despite the costly mistakes, the Twins managed to secure the win. However, their bullpen may face challenges in the upcoming games as they had planned for starters Bailey Ober and Dallas Keuchel to go the distance and give the relievers a much-needed rest. The victory was worth it for the Twins, but the extra innings may have left the bullpen thinner over the next couple of days.
Looking ahead, Jorge Alcala, a reliever who has been frequently injured and has not pitched since May 14, will play a significant role for the team in the coming week. Alcala will help the injured hitters prepare for their return by throwing live bullpens with teammates such as Alex Kirilloff and Byron Buxton standing in the batter’s box. After that, Alcala will likely participate in rehab assignments.
Meanwhile, Chris Paddack, a right-handed pitcher who underwent Tommy John elbow surgery in June 2022, has been making progress in his recovery. Paddack has been throwing without experiencing any soreness, and he will soon participate in live bullpens and potentially go on a rehab assignment. The Twins’ head athletic trainer, Nick Paparesta, expressed confidence that Paddack will be ready to go for the 2024 season.
In other baseball news, the Saints lost to the Omaha team with Austin Martin standing out with his impressive performance, including his third consecutive two-hit game and a .379 batting average in August.
Despite the Twins’ mistakes in extra innings, their ability to secure the win prevented the errors from being too costly. Now, they face the challenge of managing their bullpen’s workload in the upcoming games. Additionally, the team is optimistic about the return of injured players such as Jorge Alcala and Chris Paddack, who will play crucial roles in the Twins’ future games. As the season progresses, the team will strive to minimize mistakes and maintain their competitiveness on the field.
