It took forever, but the wait was worth it for fans who struck around for a game that lasted almost five hours and was ended on Brian Dozier’s walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the 10th inning.
.@Twins WIN! BRIAN DOZIER ENDS IT WITH A WALK-OFF GRAND SLAM! pic.twitter.com/92QkfbNUMw
— FanDuel Sports Network North (@FanDuelSN_NOR) July 15, 2018
It was Dozier’s 16th homer of the season and is another fantastic sign that the Twins could get maximum value for him if they decide to trade him before the July 31 deadline.
As for the rest of the game, it took forever. The first nine innings went four hours and 18 minutes, which had it been a completed game would’ve been one minute shy of the longest nine-inning game in Twins history.
The game got a bit out of hand in the seventh inning, when Brian Dozier scored the tying run on a balk. He celebrated down the third-base line and at home plate, and it appeared to strike a chord with some of the Rays players.
Eduardo Escobar, the next to bat for the Twins, wound up in a yelling match with a member of Tampa Bay’s infield, which led to both benches clearing and players holding each other back from a brawl.
Both teams were warned and one pitch later Escobar struck out looking. As he walked out to the infield the benches cleared again, and Escobar was thrown out of the game.
The Twins finished their 11-game home stand with nine wins to hit the All-Star break with a record of 44-50, still 7 1/2 games behind the first place Cleveland Indians.
