Final
Twins 5, Cubs 2
Starting pitcher performance
CHICAGO — A little over a month ago, the Twins were a season-high eight games below .500. They’ve slowly been chipping away at that deficit over the past five weeks, playing some of their best baseball to leave them a game under .500 at the All-Star break.
Bailey Ober helped ensure that they finally got back to even on the season for the first time since April 22 when they were 12-12 on Friday, throwing 5 1/3 innings and giving up a pair of runs. It started out shaky for Ober and things could have gone sideways in a hurry. Ober walked the first two batters in the first inning and allowed a single, producing Chicago’s first run of the game.
But a big double play helped him out of the jam and after giving up two hits to begin the second inning, another double-play ball got him out of that situation scoreless.
From there, he struck out the next five batters he faced, finishing with seven in his outing. He departed in the sixth inning, with a runner whom he put on base scoring later in the frame on a Tommy Nance wild pitch.
Key moment
Ryan Jeffers is back and it seems like the catcher hasn’t missed a beat.
After missing nearly two months due to a hamate bone fracture, Jeffers returned a week ago and in his two games before the All-Star break, he hit a double in each. Friday, he hit a big three-run home run off starter Colin Rea as part of a four-run third inning.
Jeffers launched a breaking ball out to the Wrigley Field bleachers for his eighth home run of the season and first since the injury. The Twins tacked on another run in the seventh inning, with Austin Martin coming around to score on Ryan Kreidler’s RBI knock.
Player of the Game
Jeffers had the big swing in the game, his home run giving the Twins a lead that they would hold from the third inning onward, while Ober positioned his team well for a win.
Luke Keaschall reached base three times in the victory, collecting a pair of hits and walking once. He also made a Byron Buxton-esque catch out in center field in the eighth inning, diving to nab a ball. On the mound, reliever Andrew Morris could be seen mouthing the word “Wow.”
Up next
Taj Bradley (9-3, 3.59 ERA) will get the start on Saturday for the second game of the series against the Cubs. He will be opposed by Matthew Boyd (5-1, 4.50 ERA).
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