CHICAGO — Because the Twins rookies boarded their aircraft to Chicago on Wednesday, they have been in costumes picked out by starter Pablo López and shortstop Kyle Farmer. Someday later, these rookies contributed in an enormous approach on the sector.
Edouard Julien and Royce Lewis each launched homers, and Matt Wallner introduced in two extra runs to assist carry the Twins to a 10-2 win over the White Sox at Assured Fee Discipline on Thursday night. The win pushes Minnesota one step nearer to clinching the American League Central.
“I simply assume we’re taking part in good baseball proper now for probably the most half,” Wallner mentioned. “Simply sort of attempting to not do an excessive amount of or give attention to it an excessive amount of however simply preserve constructing on how we’ve been taking part in this previous three weeks … and preserve it going.”
Julien began the scoring for Minnesota within the fourth inning when he related with a fastball for a 381-foot homer. Then three batters later, Lewis one-upped him by blasting a 426-foot dwelling run.
Each gamers have now homered in two of the previous 4 video games and proceed to be large bats for the Twins on the high of the lineup.
“Our younger gamers, they’ve began their Main League careers very effectively,” supervisor Rocco Baldelli mentioned. “They got here in and produced from the very starting. They got here in and regarded snug like they might simply are available and resume the great play they have been giving us in Triple-A.”
After his dwelling run on Thursday, Julien is slashing .270/.382/.460 with 13 homers, 14 doubles, and 27 RBIs on the 12 months. The 24-year-old second baseman has seen his common drop over the previous 23 video games, coming into the day with a .191 common throughout that span.
However the Twins know the expertise and the way impactful his bat will be on the plate. The workforce will certainly want high quality at-bats from him within the postseason.
“To have a rookie leadoff hitter on the market, it says how we really feel about him,” Baldelli mentioned.
Lewis is one other younger participant who Minnesota wants to point out up down the stretch. The slugging infielder has overcome a number of accidents over the previous two seasons (an ACL tear and an indirect pressure) and remains to be making an influence on the sector at a excessive degree.
His thirteenth homer in 53 video games this 12 months exhibits the kind of hitter he’s when wholesome. The Twins are hopeful that each one their younger gamers, together with Julien and Lewis, can finish the common season robust.
“There is a bodily facet and a psychological facet to that,” Baldelli mentioned. “It will get you to the top stronger. Generally, it is onerous to do if you’ve by no means performed till October and past.
“However that is the problem forward of those guys proper now. We do not know what they’ll do. However I place confidence in them.”
Whereas Julien and Lewis blasted towering dwelling runs on Thursday, Wallner additionally contributed with a pleasant 2-for-4 day with two RBIs and one run scored. The outfielder pulled a single to proper area which pushed two runs throughout within the seventh.
That two-run single is a constructive signal for Wallner, who was within the midst of a stoop for weeks. The younger outfielder was hitting simply .169 (14-for-83) in 29 video games from Aug. 7 to Sept. 10. Nevertheless, with 4 hits in three video games since then, Wallner is blissful to see a few knocks fall his approach.
“Yeah, it’s enjoyable,” Wallner mentioned of his rookie teammates. “They’re simply doing a lot. I’m simply attempting to play catch-up with them. It’s enjoyable to have us three within the lineup and the veterans simply present us the way in which.”
Julien, Lewis, and Wallner have all been an enormous a part of the place Minnesota is at the moment within the American League Central race. The Twins are absolutely hoping that continues with a watch towards postseason play.
“We would not have as many wins if these guys did not come up and actually get the job achieved,” Baldelli mentioned.