MINNESOTA TWINS NOTES:
THE TWINS: Have gone 3-3 through six games on their seven-game, eight-day roadtrip, going 2-2 at Yankee Stadium over the weekend, followed by a 1-1 split of the first two games at Fenway Park this week…today, the Twins will complete the trip with the three-game series finale in Boston…after today’s game, the Twins will travel back to Minneapolis to begin a 10- game homestand with three games against the Nationals over the weekend, followed by three games against the Yankees (April 24-26) and four games against the Royals (April 27-30).
Twins are seeking their second winning roadtrip this season, going 4-2 in their previous trip to open the season (3-0 at KC and 1-2 at MIA).
TWINS BREAK OUT THE BATS IN BOSTON: The Twins beat the Red Sox last night at Fenway Park by a score of 10-4, evening this three-game series…Joe Ryan (4-0) was the starter and winner, allowing three runs on six hits in 6.0 innings pitched…he joined Gerrit Cole and Shane McClanahan as the only pitchers in baseball with four wins…Brent Headrick made his major league debut, pitching 3.0 innings with one run allowed on one hit…the offense recorded nine hits as Edouard Julien went 3-for-4 with his second home run…Joey Gallo made his return from the IL, hitting his team-leading fourth home run, a three-run jimmy jack in the third inning.
Headrick became the third pitcher in Twins history (since 1961) to earn a save in their debut, joining Micheal Nakamura (6/7/03) and Steve Barber (4/9/70)…Headrick earned the trifecta last night as manager Rocco Baldelli presented him with three game balls postgame: One for his debut, one for his first strikeout (Enmanuel Valdez) and one for the save.
GETTING OFFENSIVE: The Twins recorded nine hits last night, five going for extra-bases, while only striking out six times…since their 13-hit, nine-extra-base-hit and 11-run game to start this roadtrip (April 13 at NYY), they had just 4.5 hits-per-game, 2.3 runs-per-game and 48
strikeouts in four games until last night.
LOVE THAT DIRTY WATER: The Twins and Red Sox are playing the third of seven games in 2023… after this series, the Twins will host the Sox for four games at Target Field from June 19-22… the Twins have won four of their last six games against the Sox, dating back to April 2022.
Carlos Correa is hitting .307 (54-for-176) with eight doubles, 10 home runs, 27 RBI, 36 runs scored, 33 walks, a .414 on-base percentage, a .523 slugging percentage and a .937 OPS in 47 career regular season games against the Red Sox…he has a .940 OPS in 25 career regular season games at Fenway Park.
ROTATIONAL PULL: Below are Twins starting pitching ranks in all of baseball:
ERA BAA BB FIP WHIP HITS K’s OPS
TB – 2.31 TB – .200 SF – 16 TB – 2.46 MIN – 1.01 TB – 67 MIN – 126 TB – .541
MIN – 2.65 MIN – .208 LAD – 23 SEA – 3.46 TB – 1.03 CHC – 73 TB – 113 MIN – .620
CHC – 2.96 CHC – .217 CLE – 24 ATL – 3.50 LAD – 1.09 NYY – 74 CWS – 109 CHC – .632
HOU – 3.22 MIL – .222 MIN – 25 MIN – 3.52 MIL – 1.13 MIN – 81 BOS – 105 SEA – .639
SF – 3.23 NYY – .229 3 Tied – 27 CHC – 3.52 NYY – 1.13 LAA – 81 TEX – 104 MIL – .651
CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT: The Twins bullpen has combined to go 3-2, 2.77 ERA (55.1 IP, 17 ER) with 17 walks, 59 strikeouts, a .193 opponent batting average and a .579 opponent OPS…they rank fifth among all bullpens in baseball in ERA, and third in opponent batting average and OPS.
The Twins’ bullpen has averaged 88.9 mph, the fifth-highest average pitch velocity in the AL and eighth-highest in baseball.
SERIES-LY SPEAKING: A victory today would secure the fourth series win of the season for the Twins…the Twins have gone 3-1-1 through their first five series this season, going 3-0 at Kansas City from March 30-April 2, 1-2 at Miami from April 3-5, 2-1 vs. Houston at Target Field from April 7-9, 2-1 vs. Chicago-AL from April 10-12 and 2-2 at New York-AL from April 13-16.
Twins are looking to win their second-straight series against the Red Sox after taking two of three at Target Field from August 29-31, 2022…they are looking for their first series win in Fenway since taking two of three from September 3-5, 2019.
BACK STOP, WON’T STOP: Christian Vázquez is slashing .325/.400/.400 with an .800 OPS in 13 games…he has reached base safely in 10 of 13 games played…among all catchers in baseball, he ranks tied for first in batting average, fifth in on-base percentage and 10th in OPS.
He has a catcher ERA of 2.26, which ranks second best in baseball, trailing Tampa Bay’s Francisco Mejía (1.82).
ANALYST ANALYSIS: Notes on Bally Sports North analysts LaTroy Hawkins and Glen Perkins in their careers at Fenway Park:
Hawkins pitched in 15 career games at Fenway…his first career game in this ballpark came on May 6, 1998 as the Twins won 8-7… Hawk earned the victory, allowing three runs on five hits in 5.0 innings pitched with one walk and one strikeout…it marked his fifth career road win…Paul Molitor, David Oritz and Torii Hunter were all in the lineup for the Twins that day.
Perkins made his major league debut at Fenway on September 21, 2006, pitching 1.1 scoreless innings with no hits allowed, no walks and one strikeout in a Twins 6-0 defeat…10 of Perk’s 11 career appearances here were scoreless, while he struck out 16 batters in 11.2 innings.
I’M JUST GLADD TO BE HERE: Twins Radio stallion Dan Gladden played in 32 career games at Fenway Park and was simply dominant, hitting .326 (45-for-138) with eight doubles, one triple, two home runs, 14 RBI, 23 runs scored and seven stolen bases (8 attempts)… he had 15 career multi-hit games in this ballpark, including a 4-for-5 effort on July 20, 1988, which included one walk in a game that was started by Roger Clemens…Gladden’s .326 batting average in Boston was his highest of any ballpark (minimum 100 at-bats).
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
4/19 OF Gallo returned from rehab, reinstated from 10-day IL OF Garlick optioned to AAA
4/16 LHP Headrick recalled from AAA RHP Varland optioned to AAA
4/15 OF Kepler reinstated from 10-day IL OF Wallner optioned to AAA
4/14 RHP Varland recalled from AAA RHP Sands optioned to AAA
STARTING PITCHER – KENTA MAEDA #18
2023: 0-2, 4.09 ERA
Facing Boston for the third time in his career, last faced the Red Sox on April 14, 2021 in the first game of a doubleheader in a 3-2 Twins loss..is 0-2, 4.50 ERA (10.0 IP, 5 ER) with three walks and 12 strikeouts.
172nd career appearance, 138th career start…third start of the year, second on the road… skipped his last scheduled start against New York-AL due to fatigue.
Pitching in his fourth season with the Twins after being traded, along with Jair Camargo, from Los Angeles-NL in exchange for Brusdar Graterol and Luke Raley in 2020.
BOSTON RED SOX NOTES:
STATE OF THE SOX: The Red Sox are 4-2 in their last 6 games and 7-6 in their last 13. With a win today, they would improve to 4-2-0 in series play, including 3-1-0 at home. They have alternated series wins and losses this season: 2-1 vs. BAL, 0-3 vs. PIT, 3-0 at DET, 0-4 at TB, 3-1 vs. LAA.
The Sox are in a stretch of 19 days without an off day from 4/8-26 (6-6 so far), their longest stretch of the season…They will not play on more than 10 consecutive days again until 8/15-30 (16 games). The 2021 Braves and 2019 Nationals both went on to win the World Series after beginning their season 9-10. SLUGGING SOX: The Red Sox rank 3rd in MLB in runs scored (100), trailing TB (133) and TEX (112)…The Sox also rank in the AL’s top 5 in various offensive categories (see below).
The Sox rank 9th in the majors in OPS against starting pitchers (.791), compared to 18th in OPS against relief pitchers (.670).
The Sox have been hit by a pitch 12 times, tied for 5th most in MLB (NYM-14, TB-14, LAA-13, MIN-13).
RED SOX OFFENSIVE RANKINGS
Stat AL Rank
100 R………………………. 3rd
154 H………………………. 5th
62 XBH…………………… 2nd
22 HR ……………………… 4th
.408 SLG …………………….. 5th
.730 OPS …………………….. 5th
21.4 SO%……………………. 4th
24.1 Whiff%………………… 4th
NINE IS FINE: Over their first 19 games, the Red Sox have scored 9+ runs 5 times (4-1 record), 4-8 runs 8 times (4-4 record), and 0-3 runs 6 times (1-5 record). The Sox’ 5 games with 9+ runs scored are tied for 3rd most in MLB, trailing only TB (8) and TEX (6). The Red Sox have only scored 9+ runs in more than 5 of their first 20 games 4 times: 2012 (7), 1949 (6), 1924 (7), and 1901 (6).
WHAT A RELIEF: In their last 6 games, Red Sox relievers have posted a 2.05 ERA (6 ER/26.1 IP) while striking out 27 batters and walking only 6. The Sox have posted a 3.47 relief ERA this season, compared to a 4.59 relief ERA in 2022.
RED SOX PITCHERS WITH A RELIEF ERA OF 2.00 OR LOWER
Pitcher Relief ERA IP ER
Kenley Jansen 0.00 6.0 0
Kutter Crawford 0.96 9.1 1
Josh Winckowski 1.93 14.0 3
John Schreiber 2.00 9.0 2
CLOSING TIME: In the 8th and 9th innings combined, the Red Sox lead MLB with a 1.06 ERA (4 ER/34.0 IP)…The Sox have outscored opponents in those innings, 21-5. The Sox are 6-0 when leading after 6 innings. The Red Sox are 1 of 3 teams in MLB without a blown save this season (5-for-5)…The other teams are MIA (4-for-4) and TB (3-for-3).
MOST SAVES IN MLB HISTORY
Rk. Pitcher SV
- Mariano Rivera …..652
- Trevor Hoffman …..601
- Lee Smith …………..478
- Francisco Rodriguez..437
- John Franco………..424
- Billy Wagner……….422
T7. Kenley Jansen .. 395
T7. Craig Kimbrel ……..395
IT’S ALL RIGHT NOW: The Red Sox are scheduled to face a right-handed starting pitcher in each game of this series vs. MIN and 2 of their 3 games at MIL, after facing a left-handed starter in 8 of their previous 10 games. Left-handed starters are 1-4 with a 6.03 ERA in 9 games against the Sox (23 ER/34.1 IP), while righthanded starters are 5-1 with a 5.14 ERA in 10 games against them (28 ER/49.0 IP).
AMERICA’S MOST BELOVED: Today marks Fenway Park’s 111th anniversary…The ballpark opened on this day in 1912 when, after 2 days of rainouts, the park hosted its 1st regular season game, an 11-inning, 7-6 Boston win over the New York Highlanders in front of 27,000 fans. During its history, Fenway Park has been home to many of the greatest players in baseball history, including Hall of Famers Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Jim Rice, Pedro Martinez, and David Ortiz.
HOME COOKING: The Red Sox are 4-2 so far on their 7-game homestand vs. LAA (3-1) and MIN (1-1). In home games, the Sox are tied for 2nd in the AL in runs scored (64), and rank 4th in OBP (.335) and 5th in AVG (.255), SLG (.418), and OPS (.753).
COMEBACK KIDS: The Red Sox have come from behind in 7 of their 9 wins, tied for most in MLB (also ARI, CLE, PIT). The Sox trailed by multiple runs in 5 of their 7 comeback wins, including by 4 runs on 4/15 vs. LAA and by 6 runs on 4/1 vs. BAL.
CLOSE SHAVES: 14 of the Sox’ first 19 games have been decided by 3 runs or fewer…The only team in with more such games is CLE (17). The Red Sox’ 7 games decided by 1 run are tied for 3rd most in MLB behind CLE (12) and LAA (8). Their 4 losses by 1 run trail only CLE (6), CIN,(5), LAA (5), SEA (5), and WSH (5). 7 of the Sox’ 10 losses have come by 3 runs or fewer, including 1 loss by 2 runs and 4 by 1 run.
A BIT OF EVERYTHING: Kiké Hernández hit his 100th career home run last night, becoming the 7th player in the Modern Era (since 1900) to hit 100 HR and play at least 10 games at each of the following 7 positions: 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, LF, CF, and RF. The other 6 players in the Modern Era to accomplish that feat are Monte Irvin (1938-56), Shawon Dunston (1985-2002), Scott Brosius (1991-2001), José Hernández (1991-2006), Melvin Mora (1999-2011), and Brad Miller (2013-23). Kiké is the only player on that list who has also made a pitching appearance (7/24/18 at PHI).
WELCOME TO THE SHOW: Enmanuel Valdez made his MLB debut last night, starting at 2nd base and going 2-for-4. His 2 singles both came on hard-hit balls (3rd inning-106.2 MPH; 5th inning-95.3 MPH). He became the 1st Red Sox player to record a hit in each of their first 2 career plate appearances since Chris Carter on 6/5/08 at TB.
FOREVER AND DEVERS: Rafael Devers leads the AL with 7 HR, 1 behind Pete Alonso (NYM) and Patrick Wisdom (CHC) for the MLB lead. Prior to Devers, the last Red Sox players with 7+ HR and 17+ RBI through the team’s first 19 games in a season were Hanley Ramirez (2015) and Brian Daubach (2001).
DEVERS’ AL RANKINGS
Stat AL
7 HR ……………………..1st
17 RBI…………………… T-6th
14 R……………………… T-9th
Stat AL
12 XBH……………………..T-2nd
46 total bases …………….. 2nd
.622 SLG …………………….. 3rd
PINCH ME!: The Red Sox have used a pinch-hitter 21 times this season, going 7-for-18 with 3 RBI (2B, HR, BB). The Sox’ .389 AVG (7-for-18) in pinch-hit situations leads MLB…Their 7 pinch hits are 3 more than any other team…Raimel Tapia leads MLB in pinch hits (3)
TODAY’S STARTER: 89 TANNER HOUCK – RHP
Allowed 2 runs over 4.0 IP on Friday vs. LAA (4 H, 4 BB, 6 SO)…Tied his career high in walks (4; 3rd time; previous: 9/25/21 vs. NYY). Has a 2-0 record with a 2.61 ERA (3 ER/10.1 IP) in 2 starts vs. MIN…Tossed 5.2 scoreless innings in his last start vs. MIN on 4/16/22 (2 H, 3 BB, 4 SO). Has pitched at least 5.0 innings in 2 of his 3 starts this season. Has allowed 3 ER or fewer in each of his 3 starts this season and in 55 of his 56 career outings. Opponents are batting .118 (2-for-17, 7 SO, HR) this season in at-bats ending with his slider.
