As he rounded first base and really began to get into his home-run trot Saturday afternoon, Miguel Sanó punched his right arm into the air and unloaded six weeks of aggravation.
Having rallied his team back into the lead late after it appeared the Twins would lose yet another close contest full of anguish and frustration, Sanó let loose.
Advertisement
The struggling Twins slugger yelled out and celebrated his first big moment in a month all the way to the dugout. Sanó’s opposite-field, three-run home run in the eighth inning of a 5-4 victory over the Oakland A’s at Target Field not only helped the Twins snap a five-game losing streak, but it also marked the first time all season they rallied from more than a run down to win. But perhaps even bigger than that, for the first time in quite some time, the Twins overcame a series of obstacles that seemingly had them headed for yet another disheartening loss.
“We said, ‘Let’s fucking go!’” Sanó said. “‘We’re the fucking best team in the world! Let’s go!’ …
“That’s a big moment. That’s special. I feel really excited. That’s a situation we want to find.”
The moment the Twins have been waiting a month for was not only statistically improbable, but it had also begun to feel like it never would come for a team that expects to challenge for its third straight American League Central title.
AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
MIGUEL SANO!!! pic.twitter.com/KNjwmW7ThG
— Bally Sports North (@BallySportsNOR) May 15, 2021
For six weeks now, the Twins have been going nowhere in the most painfully slow fashion possible. From the bullpen blowing leads to an offense that has struggled consistently to defensive letdowns to sheer bad luck, the Twins have found myriad ways to lose. They’ve dealt with significant injuries or time lost to a mid-April COVID-19 outbreak. Throw in significant underperformance from Sanó and several other regulars, and it doesn’t seem far-fetched to suggest it was nearly time for the Twins to call it a season.
But thanks to Sanó temporarily overcoming his inability to hit a fastball, an issue that has recently turned him into a part-time player, the Twins finally had a chance to display some of the resolve they believe makes them a winner.
Advertisement
Facing hard-throwing left-hander Jake Diekman, Sanó knew what was coming. All season long, Sanó has struggled to catch up to fastballs. He carried a .171 batting average with 12 strikeouts into Saturday.
Same as Oakland reliever Burch Smith, who struck out Sanó with a fastball in a big spot Friday night, Diekman throws primarily fastballs. After he fouled off a first-pitch fastball and took another for a ball, Sanó took a hearty cut at a 95 mph outside fastball and brought the first true home crowd roar of the season.
“It was great,” third baseman Josh Donaldson said. “I felt like the fans want us to win just as bad as we (do). For us to go out there and keep fighting and Sanó having the big hit, it was a collective energy from us and from them as well.”
Statistically speaking, Sanó’s fly ball was nothing special. Though the ball exited his bat at 99.8 mph, the 41-degree launch angle made it more of a moon shot than a deep drive. Baseball Savant notes that similar fly balls have an expected batting average of .120.
For whatever reason, the ball kept traveling. With runners on the corners and two outs, Oakland right fielder Stephen Piscotty immediately retreated to the warning track hoping to make a play. But before he could, Sanó’s shot caught the concrete edge of the flower box that overhangs the right-field fence. As Sanó returned to the dugout, a long-overdue celebration continued with teammates.
“It was an emotional day for everybody,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “It was an intense day. … That’s a moment that I think can really energize everything happening right now. It was a big thing for our team and a big thing for Miguel Sanó. It was the kind of day that you remember, you build off of. He hit that ball good. We knew he hit it good. When it landed in the seats, it was a real release and the guys were just ecstatic. It was something they were waiting for and we got it, and it was huge.”
THE SUN IS SHINING BRIGHTER
THE GRASS IS GREENER
BASEBALL IS FUN AGAIN@TWINS WIN!!! pic.twitter.com/4TOhkoMlQe
— Bally Sports North (@BallySportsNOR) May 15, 2021
The way things had gone Saturday (and all season), the Twins probably thought they’d have to wait forever before to experience it again. The same sad song they’ve been singing for weeks was playing out again.
Having fallen behind Oakland early, the Twins stranded runners in scoring position in the first and third innings.
Advertisement
They trailed 4-1 when Jorge Polanco doubled and utilityman Rob Refsnyder singled to start the seventh inning. Facing A’s starter Cole Irvin, Sanó ripped a 110 mph liner on a 1-2 fastball only for it to find the glove of Oakland shortstop Chad Pinder. Max Kepler then popped out to shallow center, which prevented Polanco from tagging. After Andrelton Simmons walked to load the bases, reliever Yusmeiro Petit retired pinch hitter Luis Arraez on a foul popout as A’s third baseman Matt Chapman made a spectacular leaning catch over the tarp.
“There was some disappointment,” Baldelli said. “We went out there and, again, had some opportunities, hit some balls hard, nothing was rolling.”
The eighth inning brought more torment after Donaldson opened with a walk and Nelson Cruz singled. Mitch Garver ripped a line drive to Chapman, who caught it and doubled Donaldson off second base.
Yet somehow the Twins didn’t fold.
Polanco drew a two-out walk against Petit and Refsnyder, who was promoted Saturday when Jake Cave was placed on the 60-day injured list with a stress reaction in his lower back, dumped a two-out base hit to right to make it a 4-2 game. It set up Sanó for a heroic moment he’d discussed with Saturday’s starting pitcher José Berríos and Michael Pineda only the day before.
“We had that conversation (Friday),” Berríos said. “(Sanó was) talking about ‘Tomorrow. Tomorrow. I’m going to put you in the win position.’ … He hit the ball the way he can hit and put ourselves in the winning way. I’m so happy for him. I’m glad he had the opportunity to take that for motivation in a positive way.”
(Photo: Adam Bettcher / Getty Images)
