Joe Ryan pitches well but Twins fall to Reds
Final
Starting pitcher performance
Joe Ryan turned in his second consecutive quality start, going six innings and allowing two runs — one earned — on three hits. Both of those runs came in the fourth inning.
Ryan allowed a one-out double to Elly De La Cruz before a Ryan Kreidler throwing error put a second runner on. The next batter, Eugenio Suárez , hammered a sweeper out of the zone to left-center field, bringing home both of the runners to give the Reds (12-8) the lead.
“I think we were pretty efficient until that inning, and maybe could’ve gotten an extra inning or two out of that if I’d just maybe executed a little bit better,” Ryan said. But yeah, it was a close ballgame.”
Player of the Game
Suárez had the big swing in a game that was well-pitched on both sides. The third baseman finished with two of his team’s four hits on the night.
Suárez also made a nice sliding grab on a Luke Keaschall ground ball in the seventh when the Twins (11-9) had a pair of runners on, popping quickly to his feet and throwing out a hustling Keaschall out to end the threat.
Key moment
The Twins had a prime opportunity in the fifth to break through off starter Brandon Williamson , a Fairmont, Minn. native, after he walked the bases loaded.
They did get one run out of the situation with Austin Martin ’s sacrifice fly, which right fielder Will Benson made a sliding catch to snag. But they couldn’t do any more damage than that, as Keaschall hit into an inning-ending double play.
It was part of a tough night for Keaschall, who struck out looking with the bases loaded in the third — a challenge revealed the pitch just clipped the zone — and also stranded the pair of runners in the seventh as part of an 0-for-4 day.
Quotable
“We’ll get it back. We’re a tick off,” — Keaschall on how he feels at the plate
Up next
The Twins and Reds will play again on Saturday afternoon at Target Field. Taj Bradley (3-0, 1.25 ERA) will start for the Twins opposed by Andrew Abbott (0-2, 5.85 ERA).
