\n\t\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
\n\tBox Score<\/a><\/strong> \n\t<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \n\tThere was rain. Or maybe there wasn\u2019t. Well, there was supposed to be rain. Those who should know told us, anyways. And it might be back there in the distance somewhere. We\u2019ll push this game back an hour and a half. It\u2019ll build character. And then we\u2019ll make them get an Apple TV subscription again. That\u2019ll also build character. Are you tired of all the character?\u00a0<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \n\tNestled in Minneapolis\u2014on the outskirts of the skyscrapers and man-made institutions that inspire awe and assert dominance\u2014sits the stadium that contains the baseball played on Friday. The field, a beautiful arrangement of limestone, greenery, and screens, gave way to a classic back-and-forther on Thursday, the kind of game that could entertain even the most arduous baseball hater, though it ended in a loss for the protagonist Twins. And this is where we find our heroes: lauded and mired in the common traps and pitfalls of a team that simply may not be good. Not bad. Just not good. The Lord would spit them from his mouth if given the opportunity.\u00a0<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \n\tZebby Matthews certainly didn\u2019t begin his start well. Fresh off the vague, esoteric rain delay, the square-jawed hurler found the terrain unfamiliar and rude. Kansas City crushed his offerings. A Bobby Witt Jr.<\/a> walk portended a stolen base, placing the dynamic speedster in scoring position for any hitter. Vinnie Pasquantino<\/a> made the point moot with a double cracked into right field. Jac Caglianone<\/a> brought home his Italian-American brethren with a double off the Jericho wall in right-center.\u00a0<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \n\tThe instant offense paralyzed the Twins. Their offense remained dormant for two innings. The clever finesse veteran Michael Wacha<\/a> knew which buttons to press and selected them with the acumen of a hurler 14 years into his major league career.\u00a0<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \n\tFinally, matters turned in favor of Minnesota\u2014ironically after they lost their best player, Byron Buxton<\/a>, who exited following a failed encounter with the center field wall. Alex Jackson<\/a> singled, and pinch-hitter Tristan Gray<\/a> reached first on a bunt, sending the leading runner to third in the process. Brooks Lee grounded out to conclude the manufactured run.\u00a0<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \n\tAt this point, Matthews was settled in, comfortable. The Royals found him more troublesome than before\u2014though thanks in part to Austin Martin<\/a> throwing out a would-be runner at home in the fourth. A pitcher can sometimes only be as good as his defense, after all.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \n\tSitting at a 2-1 stalemate in the sixth, the Twins trudged to the batter\u2019s box draped in the common misfortune of an offense that couldn\u2019t get going. They needed a hit to fuel things, yet the only fuel for such an endeavors is a hit. Quite the pickle. So, Lee simplified the situation by blasting a solo home run.\u00a0<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \n\t
SP: …………Zebby Matthews<\/a>:<\/strong> 7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 2 K
Home Runs:<\/strong> Brooks Lee<\/a> (9)
Top 3 WPA:\u00a0<\/strong>Zebby Matthews (.130), Brooks Lee (.120), Orlando Arcia<\/a> (.120)
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)<\/span>\n<\/p>\n