Gary Sanchez flipped his bat like he had hit a game-winning walk-off homer, but it was just inches shy and caught for the final out of the Seattle Mariners’ 2-1 win over the Minnesota Twins in the season opener for both teams at Target Field on Friday.
Gary Sanchez thought he was still at Yankee Stadium https://t.co/IQnaswvRfP
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) April 8, 2022
The Twins managed just four hits, one a solo homer from Gio Urshela, who arrived in Minnesota with Sanchez in the Josh Donaldson trade, and the others being singles by Carlos Correa, Ryan Jeffers and Luis Arraez.
They were held at bay by the 2021 American League Cy Young winner Robbie Ray.
Ray pitched seven innings and struck out five and walking four. The left-hander needed just 96 pitches to get 21 outs, and then the Seattle bullpen pitched a perfect final two innings to close out Opening Day.
Joe Ryan, a 25-year-old rookie, allowed a first-inning, two-run homer to Mitch Haniger but was otherwise solid over four innings of work. He allowed just two hits but walked four batters while striking out four.
Ryan was replaced by flame-throwing rookie Jhoan Duran, who immediately allowed back-to-back singles and then threw a wild pitch. Then, with the pressure on, he struck out Haniger, Eugeno Suarez and Jarred Kelenic consecutively to end the inning.
Then he struck out the first batter of the fourth inning. Overall, he struck our four in two scoreless innings and had topped out at 100.7 mph on the radar gun.
Jhoan Duran's Ridiculous Stuff. 😳 pic.twitter.com/V4iMvqhKcY
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 8, 2022
