That is a promising sign against the Cubs, a first-place group. Now, can they keep it up into the postseason?
The Twins offense appeared big on Saturday night. More importantly, it did it with not just homers, but likewise with a big inning and the timely knocks that have actually avoided this offense all too frequently against good competition toward completion of the regular season.
That is an appealing
Thanks to the lineup finally installing an uneven total with a five-run seventh inning in an 8-1 win at Wrigley Field on Saturday night, the Twins can formally turn their eyes to October, as the success protected Minnesotas return to the playoffs for a second straight year.
” Its unique in there,” Twins supervisor Rocco Baldelli said of the Twins clubhouse celebration. Were going to take tonight and have some fun, and get prepared to go going forward. Were going to slow it down for a minute and truly enjoy this.”
The Twins offense showed up huge on Saturday night. More significantly, it did it with not just homers, but also with a big inning and the prompt knocks that have eluded this offense all frequently versus excellent competitors towards completion of the regular season.
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– FAQ: Whats next for Twins after clinch
A COVID-19 hold-up and 54 video games of a restructured season later, it wouldve been fair to wonder whether that fearsome lineup, which got in Saturday ranked 15th in MLB in wRC+ and 15th in OPS, might be the greatest challenge to the Twins advancing beyond the American League Division Series for the very first time since 2002, with a deep pitching staff having shown the strength of the group for big swaths of the season.
Bomba Squad 2.0 was all set to take the league by storm.
Going back to October baseball is an accomplishment, to be sure, as the Twins hadnt gotten approved for consecutive postseasons because 2009-10– however this was always the expectation. The spoken goal at the start of the season was winning the World Series. What else could potentially have been the target after adding Josh Donaldson to the most homer-happy lineup in Major League history and including experienced depth with playoff experience to the pitching personnel?
” Its been a bit since weve had that huge Minnesota Twins inning, but we had it,” Jake Cave stated. “I think there were a lot of really cool things that took place tonight. We required that a person win. We understood it. Its kind of been eluding us for a couple of days or however many its been given that weve truly been putting it on someone. It was fun.”
– Key for Twins? Raising pitching to bats level
Led by trade acquisition and AL WHIP leader Kenta Maeda and the strength of a deep bullpen, the Twins pitching staff went into Saturday with the second-highest WAR in baseball, per FanGraphs, including the fifth-best ERA and third-best FIP. That bullpen bent its muscles with four scoreless innings on Saturday, consisting of six strikeouts from waiver acquisition Matt Wisler, another reminder of the pitching personnels important function in getting the team to this point.
That opened the floodgates in the seventh, when Sanó led off with his homer before the Twins put their next five runners on base, helped by a throwing mistake by Cubs shortstop Javier Báez. It marked the Twins first five-run inning because Aug. 12.
” One thing it might not be is the night-to-morning celebration that it can be at times,” Baldelli stated of the Twins expected celebration. “But its possible that its going to be a bit various, a bit more subdued, however just as meaningful and perhaps even more so since of what year it is and whatever that has been going on.”
Donaldson remarked that it would help for the full offense to get more video games together and return into a rhythm. That momentum-building can resume on Sunday in the series finale.
Eddie Rosario, Miguel Sanó and Donaldson broke solo homers. In that sixth inning, Baldellis choice to use Cave as an early pinch-runner for Alex Avila helped the Twins finally break through with a two-out RBI single from Rosario for the consent run. Minnesota had gone into the video game 7-for-50 (.140) with runners in scoring position in the last 10 games– all versus groups in playoff position.
For one hard-earned night, one that didnt come easily due to injuries, the Chicago White Sox and other factors, the Twins put that in the back of their minds and commemorated.
The AL Central is still up for grabs, and the No. 5 seed Twins (32-22) are still jostling with the No. 4 seed Yankees (31-21) for home-field benefit in a Wild Card Series. The Twins understand their work isnt over.
The #BombaSquad is back in the postseason. #CLINCHED pic.twitter.com/qWl8Q4gwSy— MLB (@MLB) September 20, 2020
” Its unique in there,” Twins supervisor Rocco Baldelli said of the Twins clubhouse event.” Its been a little while because weve had that huge Minnesota Twins inning, however we had it,” Jake Cave said. In that 6th inning, Baldellis choice to use Cave as an early pinch-runner for Alex Avila helped the Twins finally break through with a two-out RBI single from Rosario for the consent run. That opened the floodgates in the seventh, when Sanó led off with his homer before the Twins put their next 5 runners on base, aided by a throwing error by Cubs shortstop Javier Báez. It marked the Twins very first five-run inning given that Aug. 12.
” This years group, this is a different group,” Baldelli said. Last year was a gorgeous experience and a fantastic group of guys that achieved a lot of things.
Some more assistance from the offense would provide the Twins some wiggle room. Saturdays breakout was a motivating action.
” When those things start to roll in those methods, positive things– when positive things occur, it seems like even more favorable things appear to take place, and theres no chance to certify momentum and theres no reason to, but anyone on a baseball field or watching a baseball video game knows its genuine, and we saw a little bit of it tonight.”
Do-Hyoung Park covers the Twins for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @dohyoungpark and on Instagram at dohyoung.park.
Thats when you have those types of innings and it feels contagious,” Baldelli said. “The offending performances and the at-bats, those are the things that can actually get you going in a lot of ways and they boost you.
Part of this was getting healthy, since the Twins have handled injuries to Willians Astudillo, Buxton, Donaldson, Garver, Max Kepler, Avila, Luis Arraez and Brent Rooker at numerous points this season. Of that group, just Arraez is still on the hurt list.
