Another Yankees win brought an end to a 3-game series with the Twins that has seen 57 runs, 20 home runs, and a whole heap of entertainment.
Once again it was another torrid night for the starting pitchers as the Twins’ Jake Odorizzi was blasted out of the game after 4 innings in which he gave up a whopping 9 earned runs, while J.A. Happ only lasted 3.1 innings after 6 earned runs.
Normality returned thanks to some far more effective pitching from reliever Devin Smeltzer for the Twins, who went an excellent 5 innings for just 1 earned run in the 9th, while Nestor Cortes Jr., Tommy Kahnle and Aroldis Chapman combined for 1 run over 5.2 innings for New York.
They prevented the rubber game of the series from becoming a football score … well, a football score from a game that’s actually worth watching.
Smeltzer’s performance came on the day he was recalled from Triple-A Rochester, as Kohl Stewart was optioned and Blake Parker designated for assignment. But because the Twins will need more pitching in the upcoming four-game series against the White Sox, Smeltzer was optioned back to Triple-A with a corresponding roster move to come.
The two sides shared six homers equally, with Nelson Cruz, Eddie Rosario and Marwin Gonzalez going deep for the Twins.
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Rosario had given the Twins a 2-0 lead in the first, only to see it wiped out with 4 runs in the 2nd as Odorizzi struggled.
Since he was picked for the All-Star Game with a 1.92 ERA in 13 starts, Odorizzi has shipped 30 runs in 33 innings and seen his ERA double to 3.84, per Aaron Gleeman.
With the Indians winning, the Twins’ lead at the top of the AL Central has been cut to just 2 games. They will be hoping to get back to winning ways Thursday as they head on the road to the Chicago White Sox.
