White Sox 7, Twins 3: I already have to use the “Un-Abel” headline

[Minnesota Twins]

White Sox 7, Twins 3: I already have to use the “Un-Abel” headline

The Twins fell 7-3 to Chicago on Saturday night, with the White Sox tagging new Minnesota starter Mick Abel for six earned runs in a disastrous second inning. The series is even up at a game apiece, and the Twins walk away from Abel’s first start without anything to write home about, needing anything — anything! — to keep spirits up as August wins down, and failing to get it.

Abel surrendered six batted balls w/ EVs greater than 98.0 mph, gave up a grand slam, walked two batters, and allowed seven hits in three innings of work. First impressions aren’t everything in the game of baseball, but this one will nevertheless sting an already-battered fanbase.

It was, briefly, a Minnesota lead. The Twins got on the board in the visiting second, with Kody Clemens’ 14th homer of the season clearing the wall in right-center for a 1-0 lead, and marking the first of three homers for the team this evening.

Unfortunately, Mick Abel barely gave his new club a chance to hold the advantage. A pair of hits in the first inning yielded no Chicago runs, thanks to a 5-4-3 double play to spare a men-on-the-corners situation, but a breakdown second inning would wind up writing the story.

Abel began the frame by coughing up singles to Andrew Benintendi and Matt Wallner; next, he’d strike out Brooks Baldwin for his first K as a Twin, before giving up the game-tying knock to Chase Meidroth. Another strikeout — this time former Twin Michael A. Taylor — nearly ended the threat. But Meidroth would swipe second, and Abel would issue back-to-back walks to load the bases.

Walks, of course, have been a huge issue for Abel, who issued nine free passes in just 25.0 major-league innings during his Philadelphia stint, and ran a 5.0 BB/9 across 100 career minor-league starts, including a 3.9 BB/9 in his 13 outings with Lehigh Valley this year. With no more margin for error, Abel tried to sneak a middle-up meatball to Colson Montgomery, and was unsuccessful. One big swing later, and a grand slam had made it 6-1 White Sox.

Not only was the wind out of the narrative sails from that moment on, but the actual in-game action seemed to end there. The only remaining runs were scored on a fourth-inning solo shot from Matt Wallner, a seventh-inning blast from Royce Lewis, and a Luis Robert Jr. bomb in the bottom of the eighth to bring us to our final score.

Thomas Hatch piggybacked with Abel, and took the game the rest of the way while holding Chicago to only one additional run. The Sox also kept it quiet on the bullpen front, garnering three relief frames from Tyler Alexander, and turning to Jordan Leasure for the final three outs.

This magical season continues tomorrow afternoon, with a chance still alive for Minnesota to win the road series at Rate Field.

See you then!

STUDS:

RP Thomas Hatch (5 IP, 3 H, ER, 0 BB, 5 K, HR)

1B Kody Clemens (2-for-4, R, RBI, HR)

DUDS:

SP Mick Abel (3 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, HR)

CF Byron Buxton (0-for-4, 2 K)

The Pohlad Family

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...-3-i-already-have-to-use-the-un-abel-headline