Before Tuesday night’s game against the Kansas City Royals, Twins manager Rocco Baldelli talked about getting his position players to actually watch the game together, and the opposing pitcher, when they’re at bat.
“Not just sitting back on the bench with the iPad in front of you watching your (last) at-bats 16 times,” he said.
But it was the starting pitcher who emerged with actual notes after the Twins beat the Royals, 4-2, in front of an announced crowd of 15,174 at Target Field.
“I wrote it down,” right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson told reporters after allowing two runs on three hits and a pair of walks in five innings. “It was great, quality baseball, and it had to be noted and brought to light what our team did.”
Not surprisingly, Baldelli was taking notes, as well. “There’s a lot of stars here,” he said as he picked up his score sheet after the Twins’ sixth win in seven games.
Woods Richardson earned his first decision since April 13 after allowing the first three batters to reach base in the fifth inning, and Jhoan Duran earned his eighth save after allowing the first two batters to reach in the ninth. But it took a village.
Carlos Correa made two big defensive plays in the hole to keep the fifth from getting out of hand before Woods Richardson struck out Bobby Witt Jr. to end the threat.
Christian Vazquez and Manuel Margot hit back-to-back, two-out doubles to make it 3-0 in the third. Byron Buxton walked and stole second before coming home on Edouard Julien’s single to make it 4-2 in the eighth.
But the biggest play might have been Vazquez’s pickoff throw, and Correa’s catch and tag, on pinch-runner Dairon Blanco to defuse a potential disaster in the ninth. Salvador Perez started the inning with a double off the wall in right-center and moved to third on a pinch-hit by Adam Frazier to put runners at first and third with nobody out.
After a pickoff attempt, Blanco — who had stolen bases on 11 of 13 attempts this season — took off. Vazquez threw ahead of the bag, and Correa caught the ball on the run before reaching back with the tag. It was an easy call for second base umpire Stu Scheurwater.
“Vázquez and I, we knew. We knew if Blanco came in, it was to steal a bag. And him and I talked about throwing a throw offline,” Correa said. “It allows me to move and make a better tag. We know because the numbers back it up, that it’s more efficient that way.
“He absolutely threw that offline on purpose, and I absolutely got there earlier so I could make that tag. It was a brilliant play started by Duran with quick time to home and then Vázquez with the release.”
Duran then fanned M.J. Melendez for the second out, and Nick Lofton grounded to second for the final out.
“When he’s on first, I got Salvador Perez on third base, I put it in my mind that Salvador Perez is not there,” Duran said. “I put my attention on Blanco because I know he’s faster, and he’s the run that will tie the game. I don’t want him to take second.”
After that out, Duran said, “I feel more chilling, relaxed.”
Minnesota broke the seal early, scoring a pair of runs in the first off Kansas City left-hander Cole Ragans (4-4).
Lead-off hitter Margot reached on an infield hit to shortstop and was doubled to third by Correa. After Ryan Jeffers struck out, Jose Miranda laced a single into center to score both runners and make it 2-0 Twins.
The Twins took a 3-0 lead in the fourth inning on consecutive two-out doubles by Vazquez and Margot. Ragans (4-4) gave up nine hits in five innings but kept damage to a minimum by walking just one and striking out seven Twins batters.
The Royals answered with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth. Woods Richardson, who had allowed only one base runner, on a walk, in the first four innings, allowed the first three batters to reach. He walked Nick Lofton, then allowed a double to Hunter Renfroe to put runners at second and third.
Renfroe came home on a single to left by Garrett Hamson. No. 9 hitter Kyle Isbel grounded up the middle to score Renfroe and cut the Twins’ lead to 3-2, but Correa made the play to get him at first for the first out.
Correa fielded another grounder up the middle and got leadoff hitter Miakel Garcia for the second out, and with Hampson at third, Woods Richardson retired Bobby Witt Jr. on a fly to right.
The plan?
“Attack him,” Woods Richardson said. “Runner on third, you kind of have to limit the damage — but not give in. So, I was just trying to do that. He’s a great hitter.”
