Diamondbacks 7, Twins 2: Lup lays them low

RECORD 31-35, PACE 76-86

The Diamondbacks defeated the Minnesota Twins 7-2 tonight in a game that had it all. Jordan Luplow had two homeruns. Madison Bumgarner settled down after a rough start to throw 6 effective innings, allowing just two runs despite a slew of hard contact early in the game.

Not one, not two, but three D-backs had successful bunts that all lead to runs scored. Buddy Kennedy had two hits in his first major league game and Jake Hager even had a three hit game, the first multi hit game of his career.

And just for good measure the bullpen chipped in three scoreless innings. The Twins chipped in too, committing two errors, going 2-9 with runners in scoring position and leaving 8 men on base.

The most amazing fact of tonights game perhaps was that it was over in just 2:40

What a beautiful game, chock full of interesting story lines. Here is your play by play. Be sure to check out the Audio clips too. Get to know your favorite players even better.

T-1 Twins leadoff hitter Byron Buxton blasted the 2^nd pitch from Bumgarner 446 feet deep into the left field bleachers. It was Buxton’s 19^th homer of the year and came on a 92 MPH four seam fastball that caught too much plate.

A two out base hit by Gary Sanchez and a ground rule double by Luis Arraez gave the twins runners on 2^nd and 3^rd. That was quite a fortuitous hop off the warning track and into the stands, as on the 27th pitch of the inning Jose Miranda flew out to shallow center to end the inning.

B-1. Carson Kelly lead off against Twins lefty Devin Smeltzer with an opposite field flair into right for a base hit, and one out later Jordan Luplow put the D-backs in the lead with a two run homer to left, his 8^th of the year. The ball traveled 433 feet.

2-1 D-backs

T-2 Max Kepler hit a leadoff single and Buxton tagged Bumgarner for a two out double down the left field line to once again give the Twins 2^nd and 3^rd, with two outs. But Bum got out of it by striking out Carlos Correa on a curveball way off the plate.

B-2 Buddy Kennedy flew out to center in his first major league at bat. Jake Hager had a two out hit but Perdomo grounded on a ball up the middle that second baseman Arraez made a nice play on.

T-3: Gio Urshela blasted a ball off the CF wall for a leadoff double. One out later Arraez reached on an infield hit, and then Miranda singled to left driving in Urshela to make it a 2-2 tie. Kepler walked to load the bases bringing up Gilberto Celestino, who hit into a 6-4-3 to end the inning.

Bum has already given up 8 hits, and there are 9 balls hit 97 MPH or harder, including 6 over 100. Some-how it’s a 2-2 ball game going to the bottom of the 3^rd. Looking at the locations on game day, except for the Buxton double it appears they all caught way too much plate.

B-3 Jordan Luplow! Doing what he got paid to come here to do…hit his second homer of the game, his 9^th of the year with two outs, giving the good guys a 3-2 lead. It’s his 6^th career multi-homer game.

T-4 Bum gets his first 1-2-3 inning

B-4: The D-backs put together a beautiful inning. Kennedy drew a leadoff walk followed by a single from Alek Thomas. Jake Hager then put down a good bunt towards 3^rd and Smeltzer air mailed the throw up the right field line. Kennedy and Thomas came around to score. Perdomo then sac bunted Hager to 3^rd and Carson Kelly drove him in with another soft base hit into right field.

D-back lead 6-2

T-5 Some more hard contact for the twins, a 106 MPH ground rule double for Sanchez, but he ended up stranded at 3^rd as Bum wiggled off the hook again. With a ground out and K.

B-5 The Dbacks tack on another run. Varsho bunts for a base hit and then Kennedy singles into right for his first major league hit. Alek Thomas reached on an error and Hager singled to drive home Varsho. The base hit was not only gave Hager the first 3 hit game of his career, it’s his first multi hit game.

7-2 Dbacks

That was it for scoring in this game as each team managed just one hit over the final three innings

Torey Lovullo audio

“Offensively we made a couple statements, and they were made loud and clear by Jordan Luplow.”

“The rest of the guys just followed, with small ball, base hits, good clutch hitting. It was just a really good game. A fun game to watch”

I agree Torey ! He also talked about how Bumgarner made adjustments, with more fastballs early and then transitioning to more cutters and secondary pitches to get softer contact. Torey also discussed Hager’s 3 hits and also the strange play at 2b play , and of course Kennedy’s big night.

Madison Bumgarner audio

Asked if he felt like his pitches were sharper after the first couple of innings he said

“I felt like they were good in the first couple of innings too”

The Twins probably agreed.

Buddy Kennedy audio

Buddy got a beer bath and also mouth wash...which he said was strange. A very joyous night and you can hear him soaking it all in.

Jordan Luplow audio

We joked about how much cooler it would be to see OPS on the scoreboard instead of Batting Average. It was an interesting exchange though, because the players DO look up at that board and it can affect them.

Jordan was also very open about how focus can shift and become more intense during more key moments in games, and sometimes when there isn’t as much on the line it’s tougher to stay as focused over the course of 162 games. Good insights into the minds of these human beings.

Fangraphs WPA BOX

Jordan Luplow, +28%, Jake Hager +15% and Madison Bumgarner +7% are the heroes of the night.

Josh Rojas wears the -7% thanks to an 0-5 night, but played good defense and made one really nice play

184 comments in the game thread tonight, but no Sedona Red entries. Better luck next time fellas.