Twins sweep into the break in the wildest way

TWINS 12

TIGERS 9    (10 innings)

It's why baseball is the greatest of games. 

Even amidst this, one of the most disappointing seasons of Twins baseball maybe ever, a season that was over long before the midway point, we get one of the very best of the 150 or so ballgames I have ever personally attended. And almost certainly the wildest. 

Where do you even start with recounting what went on Sunday afternoon?

Jose Berrios started, and for the first several innings appeared to perhaps be on the way to something special. He cruised through the first 4 hitless innings. If anything it looked like the Twins equally punchless bats were going to cost him a shot at a win.

Then the 5th inning happened. Jose got the first two outs, then gave up a single to end the no-hitter. But then he also walked the 8 and 9 hitters back to back to load the bases. Up came Akil Baddoo, a Twins castoff, who on an 0-2 pitch laced a hit to left that scored two. Then Jonathan Schoop, another former Twin, blooped a double to score two more. So just like that, in 5 batters it went from a no-hitter to 4-0 Tigers. Berrios actually ended up pitching two more innings after this and was again untouchable. One of the odder starts of his career. 

But at 4-0 it wasn't a death sentence. The previous day the Twins came from 4-0 down to win. And they began to pick away. Max Kepler hit a solo shot in the 5th. Jorge Polanco added an RBI single in the 6th.

Then in the 7th they really pounced. They loaded the bases, then Luis Arraez scored on a wild pitch. Alex Kirilloff, Polanco and Kepler each singled home runs, and the Twins had a 6-4 lead. And Berrios was in line for a win after all. 

But we are so far from being done.

Jose's day was done, and here came Jorge Alcala. I barely got through saying Alcala was going to give up his customary one homerun per outing before Alcala gave up a homerun to Baddoo. 6-5. Thankfully Alcala and then Hansel Robles combined to make the rest of the inning harmless. 

The Twins added some insurance in the 8th, with a Josh Donaldson double and another Kirilloff single. So at this point you feel pretty secure with a 3 run lead and Taylor Rogers coming in for the save.

But the 9th was a disaster. Rogers immediately gives up a single, then a double, then walks the bases loaded. Then gives up a FUCKING GRAND SLAM. To the 9 hitter. Unreal. Rogers actually struck out the side after this but the damage was done.

It looked pretty hopeless in the bottom of the frame. Kepler grounded out weakly. Then up came the light hitting Ben Rortvedt. Rortvedt was only in the game at all because Ryan Jeffers fouled a ball off his leg earlier and couldn't stay in the game. This also meant the Twins had no catchers left, and could not pinch hit for Rortvedt. I still wanted them to, and take their chances on using an emergency catcher or whatever if it went extras. If you let Rortvedt hit and become an automatic out, you lose anyway.

I still cannot believe what happened next. Rortvedt CRUSHES a ball over the right field wall to tie the game. Stunning (and frankly hilarious). Probably the single most surprising thing I have ever seen at a ballgame. There weren't all that many people left at the ballpark, but it was loud. 

It went extras, so we got that stupid free runner thing. Tyler Duffey came in. He put up a zero, thanks to an amazing play by Kirilloff at first, who made a diving stop, then ran and drove into the bag to get the out. Pretty nice game by our future first baseman.

So now it was our turn. Trevor Larnach at 2nd. Nelson Cruz was intentionally walked. Two batters later Polanco came up. And Polanco concluded this wildest, wackiest of games in the best fashion possible, by drilling a walkoff 3 run homerun into the left field bleachers. I have now seen 3 walkoff homeruns in person.

I have not been to a more entertaining ballgame. The only thing holding it back from the unquestioned #1 spot are the stakes, in that there were none. It's two bad teams. The game pulled the Twins into a virtual tie for 3rd with the Tigers, but that's all.

But this is why baseball is the best. You truly never know what you might see in a given game. In a forgettable season this was one unforgettable afternoon.