Monday, April 7, 2014

Game of the Day (4/6/14)

Twins 10, Indians 7. Ricky Nolasco vs. Justin Masterson.

Masterson started the game in trouble, allowing a single to Joe Mauer and hitting Josh Willingham in the first before Chris Colabello grounded into a double play. Nolasco worked around a Nick Swisher single in the bottom of the inning. That was just about the last time either starter actually worked out of a jam.

The Twins drew first blood in the second. Trevor Plouffe was hit by a pitch, Jason Kubel doubled, Kurt Suzuki singled Plouffe in, and Kubel scored when Aaron Hicks hit into a double play. Cleveland tied it right back up in the bottom of the inning, as Michael Brantley singled and Yan Gomes launched a 2-run homer.

Minnesota struck again in the third, starting with a Brian Dozier walk and a Joe Mauer single. Jason Bartlett, who had replaced Willingham an inning earlier, struck out. Colabello reached on a Gomes error, scoring Dozier with the go-ahead run. Plouffe and Kubel followed with an RBI single each, making it 5-2. Nolasco managed to allow only a single and walk in the bottom of the third, and the Twins added another run in the fourth when Dozier walked, stole second, and scored on Colabello's single, which also chased Masterson from the mound.

Just when the game seemed to be getting out of hand, the Indians came back. David Murphy singled with one out in the fourth, and Nyjer Morgan and Swisher both drew walks with two away to load the bases. Jason Kipnis followed with a base-clearing double, bringing Cleveland to within a run. After a perfect fifth from Scott Atchison, the Indians tied it up in the bottom of the inning when Lonnie Chisenhall and Murphy both doubled against Anthony Swarzak.

The tie didn't last long. Facing Blake Wood in the top of the sixth, Dozier walked and stole second, Mauer was intentionally passed, and Bartlett was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Colabello followed with a three-run double to reclaim the lead. Kipnis, Carlos Santana, and Brantley singled to score another run against Swarzak in the bottom of the inning, prompting Caleb Thielbar to replace him; Ryan Raburn drew a walk to load the bases with one out, but Gomes hit into a double play to end the inning.

Marc Rzepczynski worked around a Suzuki walk in the top of the seventh; the bottom of the inning saw the Indians get the tying runs on again, as Murphy singled and Morgan walked, but Casey Fien escaped the jam. Mauer doubled against Bryan Shaw and was stranded in the eighth, and Cleveland once again put two on in the bottom of the inning, as Santana and Brantley greeted Jared Burton with singles. Raburn hit into a double play and Gomes grounded out to end yet another threat.

The Twins scored a hitless insurance run in the ninth, as Plouffe and Kubel walked, Suzuki bunted them over, and Hicks brought Plouffe in with a sac fly. The Minnesota bullpen finally had an uneventful inning in the bottom of the ninth, a 1-2-3 affair courtesy of Glen Perkins. It was the first time all day that the Indians had been retired in order, and only the second time for either team.

That's why this game does well despite the fact that its last lead change came in the sixth - there was always something happening, or at least almost happening. The teams combined for 33 at bats with runners in scoring position, stranded 20 runners, and hit into 5 double plays. All the runners on base easily add up to the second-best 9-inning game of 2014 so far - it loses out only to the other game in which the Twins scored 10 runs thanks to a large number of RBI from Chris Colabello (who currently holds the AL lead with 11).

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