Three thoughts from LEN3 following the Twins' 1-0 win over Cleveland
Twins righthander Ervin Santana leads Twins to rare 1-0 win, other notes
The Twins on Friday won their first 1-0 game since May 1, 2015. They have won their first three games of this road trip and have won eight of their last nine on the road.
May 13, 2017 at 2:32PM
1-0 WINS: They don't happen often. I went back five years and found two other 1-0 wins for the Twins. The last one was May 1, 2015 over the White Sox, Kyle Gibson got the win over Carlos Quintana. Before that, the Twins beat Cleveland, again, 1-0 on May 5, 2015. Gibson started that game too (!) but Caleb Thielbar got the win in relief. Only 9,037 in attendance that night. I didn't see a 1-0 game tonight the way Ervin Santana started the game, but he found a way to avoid mortal wounds. And, after getting up at 4 a.m. to catch a 6 a.m. flight out of Midway, then make a connecting flight into Cleveland, I will gladly take a 2 hour, 30 minute game.
BELISLE HELPS IN DIFFERENT WAYS: Matt Belisle got the final two outs of the eighth, stranding a runner. It was a better outing than on Thursday when he walked two batters and forced manager Paul Molitor to ask Brandon Kintzler to pull off a five-out save. He really bailed out the Twins when Joe Mauer and Jorge Polanco bumped while trying to catch Edwin Encarnacion's infield fly ball. The ball fell to the ground but Belisle pounced on it and threw to second base for the force play. I still think Ryan Pressly is going to get reps in the eight inning, but it is obvious that Molitor wants to give the veteran Belisle his chances there.
ROSTER MOVE: The Twins sent Nick Tepesch back to Rochester after the game, making room for the return to Jose Berrios. Tepesch needs to get back on a regular pitching schedule so he can stay as sharp as he can. Because he will be back. Given the Twins inventory of starters, they will need Tepesch again. Meanwhile, the Twins won't need a fifth starter until a week from tomorrow (May 20) against the Royals. Who will it be? Mejia? Wilk? The return of Kyle Gibson?
After an incredible 25-year career that saw him become MLB's all-time stolen bases leader and the greatest leadoff hitter ever, Rickey Henderson died Friday at age 65.
