Twins triumph. Kirilloff's heroics secure AL central victory
23.09.2023 posted by Admin
In Minneapolis, the Minnesota Twins secured their victory in the American League Central, triumphing 8-6 against the Los Angeles Angels on Friday evening.
This marks the third time in the last five seasons that Minnesota has claimed the AL Central title. They previously clinched the division in 2019 and 2020. In total, the team has now won the Central championship on nine occasions and secured 13 divisional titles. (Before MLB introduced three divisions in each league, they won the AL West four times.)
Alex Kirilloff played a pivotal role, smashing a home run and contributing three runs batted in. The Twins managed to maintain their lead, even as the game reached its tense final moments.
Manager Rocco Baldelli remarked, "We've got a lot of work ahead of us, but for now, let's savor this victory. Tomorrow, it's back to business."
Pablo Lopez (11-8) took the mound for Minnesota, pitching six innings, allowing three runs on five hits, and striking out seven batters. Jhoan Duran, despite giving up a run in the ninth inning, successfully secured his 27th save of the season with the bases loaded.
After initially squandering a 3-0 lead, Kirilloff's 10th home run broke the 3-3 tie in the sixth inning, leading Minnesota to its sixth win in eight games. Kirilloff's achievement of double-digit home runs this season made him the 12th player on the Twins' roster to do so, setting a club record.
The enthusiastic crowd, still buzzing from a recent college football game held at Target Field, eagerly celebrated the Twins' extended run into the fall season. This marks the 15th postseason appearance for the Twins since their relocation to Minnesota in 1961, when they were formerly known as the Washington Senators.
Injured shortstop Carlos Correa, who is expected to return for the postseason, expressed, "This means a lot. It's especially significant as it's our first title here in Minnesota. When you join a new team, these are the goals you set, and this is just one of them."
However, it's worth noting that the postseason hasn't been kind to Minnesota. The team has endured a string of 18 consecutive postseason losses, largely at the hands of their perennial postseason rivals, the New York Yankees.
The Twins' last postseason victory dates back to 2004 when they won the first game of the division series 2-0 against New York, with Johan Santana as their star pitcher. Under coach Rocco Baldelli's leadership, the Twins were swept in two games by the Houston Astros in a 2020 first-round series and swept in three games by the Yankees in the 2019 division series.
Minnesota continued to build on their lead with a four-run seventh inning, featuring crucial RBI doubles from Kyle Farmer and Jorge Polanco.
Kyle Farmer remarked, "Those final innings felt like the longest of my life, but we pulled through, and it was fantastic."
This article contains information sourced from The Associated Press.
This marks the third time in the last five seasons that Minnesota has claimed the AL Central title. They previously clinched the division in 2019 and 2020. In total, the team has now won the Central championship on nine occasions and secured 13 divisional titles. (Before MLB introduced three divisions in each league, they won the AL West four times.)
Alex Kirilloff played a pivotal role, smashing a home run and contributing three runs batted in. The Twins managed to maintain their lead, even as the game reached its tense final moments.
Manager Rocco Baldelli remarked, "We've got a lot of work ahead of us, but for now, let's savor this victory. Tomorrow, it's back to business."
Pablo Lopez (11-8) took the mound for Minnesota, pitching six innings, allowing three runs on five hits, and striking out seven batters. Jhoan Duran, despite giving up a run in the ninth inning, successfully secured his 27th save of the season with the bases loaded.
After initially squandering a 3-0 lead, Kirilloff's 10th home run broke the 3-3 tie in the sixth inning, leading Minnesota to its sixth win in eight games. Kirilloff's achievement of double-digit home runs this season made him the 12th player on the Twins' roster to do so, setting a club record.
The enthusiastic crowd, still buzzing from a recent college football game held at Target Field, eagerly celebrated the Twins' extended run into the fall season. This marks the 15th postseason appearance for the Twins since their relocation to Minnesota in 1961, when they were formerly known as the Washington Senators.
Injured shortstop Carlos Correa, who is expected to return for the postseason, expressed, "This means a lot. It's especially significant as it's our first title here in Minnesota. When you join a new team, these are the goals you set, and this is just one of them."
However, it's worth noting that the postseason hasn't been kind to Minnesota. The team has endured a string of 18 consecutive postseason losses, largely at the hands of their perennial postseason rivals, the New York Yankees.
The Twins' last postseason victory dates back to 2004 when they won the first game of the division series 2-0 against New York, with Johan Santana as their star pitcher. Under coach Rocco Baldelli's leadership, the Twins were swept in two games by the Houston Astros in a 2020 first-round series and swept in three games by the Yankees in the 2019 division series.
Minnesota continued to build on their lead with a four-run seventh inning, featuring crucial RBI doubles from Kyle Farmer and Jorge Polanco.
Kyle Farmer remarked, "Those final innings felt like the longest of my life, but we pulled through, and it was fantastic."
This article contains information sourced from The Associated Press.