\n\tBox Score: \n\tWell, the team has been showing positive flashes lately, and it’s definitely due to my own prognosis.<\/a>\u00a0Or, maybe it’s just Luke Keaschall, who had (ahem) a pretty decent game.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \n\tThe Twins finished up the series against Kansas City today, going for a second straight series win against a team ahead of them in the AL Central standings. I was at Friday’s game and witnessed more key RBI hits than occurred in all of 2024. Alas, yesterday, Noah Cameron<\/a> shut them down, which was a reminder that they are still going to struggle against lefties in the absences of Byron Buxton<\/a>, Carlos Correa<\/a>, Willi Castro<\/a> and Harrison Bader<\/a>.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \n\tIt looked like they might be facing a huge early deficit with Jos\u00e9 Ure\u00f1a on the mound. He allowed a leadoff walk to Mike Yastrzemski<\/a>, followed by a sharp single to Maikel Garc\u00eda. Fortunately, Vinnie Pasquantino<\/a> then scorched a ball to Kody Clemens<\/a> at first, who recorded the out and stepped on first for a crushing double play. Especially crushing because a walk and a single would follow. All in all, just the one run would score.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \n\tThe second inning looked even bleaker for the Twins and Ure\u00f1a, who walked the first two hitters he saw. Kyle Isbel<\/a> then bunted the runners over, bringing up the top of the lineup. Yastrzemski hit a sharp line drive… right to Luke Keaschall at second base. Ure\u00f1a then fooled Garc\u00eda with a weird, screwball-type pitch to set him down looking and end the inning.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \n\tThe Royals countered with a much more impressive arm, Ryan Bergert<\/a>, whom they acquired from the Padres by trading away one of the heirs apparent to Salvador Perez<\/a>, Freddy Fermin<\/a>. Bergert has a couple of nice pitches, but stalled in the high minors before the Padres gave him a look in a swing role. He excelled in that capacity, with a 2.78 ERA over 35 innings, and shut down Boston over 5 2\/3 innings in his Royals debut, allowing just two hits and two runs.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \n\tBergert made quick work of the Twins in the first two innings, showcasing an impressive changeup-slider combo, but committed the cardinal sin of walking Mickey Gasper<\/a> to begin the third. That brought up Ryan Fitzgerald, still looking for his first big-league hit, and he capitalized, crushing a cement-mixer slider into the flower beds in right field for a two-run home run and giving the Twins the lead.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \n\t
Starting Pitcher: <\/strong>Jos\u00e9 Ure\u00f1a<\/a>: 3 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 1 K (73 Pitches, 36 Strikes, 49.3%)
Home Runs: <\/strong>Ryan Fitzgerald<\/a> (1), Luke Keaschall<\/a> (2)
Top 3 WPA: <\/strong>Michael Tonkin<\/a> (.619),\u00a0<\/strong>Keaschall (.429), Pierson Ohl<\/a> (.224)
Win Probability Chart (Via FanGraphs):<\/strong>
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