The Minnesota Twins improved their record to 4-1 Wednesday night, with a 3-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals, to complete the 2-game sweep! This team just knows how to win and I can’t get enough of it. Rich Hill dominating his debut/comeback helps…
Rich Hill > Daniel Ponce de Leon
Twins SP Rich Hill was dominant in his first outing as a Minnesota Twin. It was the second night in a row that a Twins starting pitcher debuted. Hill pitched 5 innings and only gave up 2 hits. If the season would have started on time, Hill would have found himself on the IL while recovering from left elbow surgery. Instead, he looked like an important piece to the shortened 2020 season, tonight.
Cardinals SP Daniel Ponce De Leon can’t say the same. He LABORED through his start, SLOWLY working to one of the weirdest 3.2 IP stat lines in the history of baseball.
Daniel Ponce de Leon's pitching line from tonight has to be one o the more bizarre ones I've seen.
— Do-Hyoung Park (@dohyoungpark) July 30, 2020
Allowed only 2 hits in 3 2/3 innings, struck out 8, but was pulled after his pitch count ran up to 85. pic.twitter.com/Rdlh2vEFaQ
Just One Bomba?
The Twins starting the scoring early (as they usually do) when Nelson Cruz hit a double to the right center, driving in Luis Arraez.
It wouldn’t be a Twins game without a Bomba, though, which was provided by Eddie Rosario, tonight. It was his first of the year and I’m pretty sure this one landed in Brooklyn Park.
Eddie Rosario's first home run of 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣0️⃣#MNTwins pic.twitter.com/yJfNjBwk7l
— FOX Sports North (@fsnorth) July 30, 2020
The Twins bullpen shut things down once again tonight as Sergio Romo, Tyler Duffey, Tyler Clippard, and Taylor Rogers all pitched scoreless innings. This is starting to look like the normal routine for Baldelli & Co. Our very own Seth Toupal has come up with a new motto for the Twins.
Bombas, Bullpen, Win, repeat
— Gandalf the Toups (@sethtoups) July 29, 2020
12 batters, 12 outs, 7 strikeouts for our ‘pen! ????@TheDoof13 1 IP, 3 Ks@SergioRomo54 1 IP, 1 K@TylerClippard 1 IP, 1 H, 1 K@trogers34 1 IP, 2 Ks #TwinsWin | #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/d53TjKdoeC
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) July 30, 2020
The Best
The Minnesota Twins debuted their new powder-blue retro uniforms tonight. Let me just say, Bombas look a hell of a lot better in that blue. I am in love with these uniforms, to the point where I am strongly contemplating buying every player’s jersey. If you missed the game tonight, here is a look at the new threads.
How about some new lock screens? #WallpaperWednesday pic.twitter.com/yP7T6ZNoCX
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) July 29, 2020
The Worst
Miguel Sano is now just 1-14 on the season. I get that it is early, but with everyone else on the squad picking up where they left off, it makes it look that much worse. One thing I do know: if the Twins want to win their 3rd World Series, they are going to need Sano to figure things out.
The Twins kick off a pivotal early season series against the Cleveland Indians tomorrow night at 6:07 pm CT. The series kicks off with a dynamite pitching matchup: Jose Berrios (0-0) 11.25 ERA faces off against Shane Bieber (1-0) 0.00 ERA.
Cameron Thomson | Minnesota Sports Fan