The Moment: The Twins collected all three of their runs on one swing of the bat. After Martin Perez walked the bases full, Brian Dozier stepped up and emptied those very same bases with a double. That was a 32.4% swing in WPA, seeing as the hit came in the 5th inning when the Rangers had already claimed a 2-0 lead.
The Hero: I think it’s safe to say that Brian Dozier hasn’t really matched the lofty expectations he set for himself last year, but an equal dose of self reflection should note that we haven’t noticed because of the flaws elsewhere on the team. Well, this double might jog whatever internal engine he has that seems to switch itself on through the middle of the season. Not only did he have that big hit, but he also added a single to lead off the game.
The Goat: There were only 5 runs scored in this affair, so despite one well timed hit allowed, it wasn’t the pitching that lost this game. We can instead focus the blame on… oh…. let’s say Shin-Soo Choo, who went 0-3 despite having Carlos Gomez on base twice in front of him.
The Soundtrack: What is and Should Never Be – Led Zeppelin – I think this is the quintessential Led Zeppelin song. You hear it, you know it’s them, but you also never know the name of the song.
The Story: Last year, the Twins went to Arlington and laid waste to the Rangers. It’s hard to say that 3-2 is laying waste to anyone, but this was certainly a refreshing change of pace from the particularly uninspiring home stand the Twins and their fans just suffered through. A reboot came just in time.
The Twins did a great job of working lengthy at bats, which earned them their three run 5th inning. They took three of the game’s 5 walks consecutively as Martin Perez broke down. The third walk went to Byron Buxton, which can’t be discounted. Without that speed at first, who knows if Dozier’s double would have been a 2 run or 3 run double.
Phil Hughes got through 6 innings while allowing only 2 runs. It’s pretty apparent that he is still working at recuperating after a very tough year. Hi velocity still isn’t quite where it was before surgery, but he was able to find the strike zone and get 6 innings. At this point, sparing the pen and getting quick outs is quite important. He should get a little bit better, but he pitched like a veteran today.
Frankly, the entire team played beyond their years today. The tough at bats, the walks, the pitching within their means, these are all things a team does when they have a comprehensive understanding of the game. It helped that the defense still is young, as nearly everyone on the field had to run or maneuver to make at least one difficult play. This is pretty close to the Twins’ best self. The execution will eventually follow the process.
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