Twins Struggle Despite Early Lead 
The game started off promising for the Minnesota Twins as Willi Castro got things moving but unfortunately grounded out to first base. Trevor Larnach drew a walk, setting up Matt Wallner's double to center field to bring Larnach home for the game's first run. Ryan Jeffers grounded out to shortstop, ending the inning with the Twins up 1-0. However, the momentum quickly shifted as Cubs' Michael Busch hit a solo homer to right-center in the bottom half of the inning, tying the game 1-1.
Cubs Take Control of the Game 
The Twins regained the lead in the top of the second inning. Carlos Santana and Max Kepler both got on base, Santana eventually scoring after a groundout by Brooks Lee. The Twins finished the inning ahead 2-1.But the bottom of the third inning was a nightmare for the Twins. Pete Crow-Armstrong singled and stole second, followed by a walk for Christian Bethancourt. A wild pitch and multiple walks later, the Cubs racked up 3 more runs. Another wild pitch allowed yet another run, leaving the Cubs ahead 4-2. Relief pitcher Sands came in but couldn't stop the bleeding immediately. The inning ended with the Cubs in the lead 4-2.
Nothing Goes Right 
The fourth inning saw Christian Bethancourt hit a double, and Ian Happ brought him home with a home run of his own, increasing the Cubs' lead to 6-2. The Twins attempted to mount a comeback, but the Cubs' bullpen was effective. Santana had an infield single in the 6th and Brooks Lee singled in the 7th, but both efforts were squandered with subsequent outs.
Cubs Pile On Late, Twins’ Offense Falls Flat
The bottom of the 8th was the final nail in the coffin. Tauchman singled and stole second, scoring on Dansby Swanson's single. Swanson then stole second and was brought home by Bethancourt's double. The Cubs ended the inning up 8-2.The Twins had one last chance in the 9th but were unable to capitalize. Carlos Santana lined out to center, and Max Kepler and Ryan Jeffers went down swinging. The final hope fizzled with Willi Castro's groundout to second, sealing an 8-2 defeat for the Twins.
It was a tough day for the Twins, but we'll bounce back! Let's keep supporting our team!
Scoreboard for Twins @ Cubs (August 7th, 2024)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 2 |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 |