Stanzel’s Sports Takeout — BREAKING NEWS: 6-2-23.
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Twins Win Game, Lose Buxton, Correa, Kepler
You want the good news or the bad news?
Willi Castro’s sacrific fly won the game against Cleveland 7-6 in the ninth, an inning after Royce Lewis again tied things up this time with a gargantuan home run.
But oh, Byron Buxton, Carlos Correa and Max Kepler all started the game but didn’t finish. Buxton left with a ribcage injury, Correa aggravated his plantar fasciitis which really only gets better with rest, and Kepler exited with a migraine.
The story is Lewis, and that may continue for quite some time. In his first game at Target Field this season, he crushed a two-run homer in the eighth, setting the stage for Castro’s heroics.
There are concerns about the injured trio, certainly. But the Twins put up an eight spot resting Correa and Buxton Wednesday in Houston. There may be a little more let loose in this group without those guys in the lineup.
What’s going on with Pablo Lopez? He started out the season like gangbusters, but his ERA is now over 4.50. Last night, he was staked to a 3-1 lead entering the sixth but wound up tagged for six runs total.
The Twins moved to 2.5 games up on Detroit and 4.5 on the Guardians. No one expects the Tigers to stay in that position, so even if the Twins take two of the next three against Cleveland, they’ll be up 5.5 in early June on their toughest contender.
But there’s a lot of season left.
Denver Takes Game 1 of NBA Finals
Miami was no match for Denver in Game 1 of the NBA Final. The Nuggets carried a 21-point lead into the fourth, and even though the Heat scored the first 11 points in the fourth, they never seriously threatened. I’d be surprised if this series went more than five.
Lynx Now 0-6
If there’s one WNBA season to not be competitive, it’s this one. The Lynx dropped to 0-6 with a five-point home loss to Connecticut last night. But you know what? The top three picks in the WNBA Draft could be Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers. Do what you gotta do…
Stanley Cup Final Begins Saturday
I’ll take Vegas in five games over Florida in the Stanley Cup Final which starts Saturday in Las Vegas. The Panthers have had a magical run but I think the Golden Knights are just a superior team. The week-plus break for Florida won’t help either.
Happy for former Panthers head coach and former Wild winger Andrew Brunette who is the new head coach in Nashville. Bruno was the best. The night of my last Wild game as an employee, he was the first one to e-mail me after the game. Everything you hear about the guy is true.
Loons Host Toronto Saturday
The Loons welcome a Toronto team that’s won just three of its 16 games despite some serious talent on their roster. Minnesota has its problems scoring, sure, but they enter the weekend tied for seventh in the West. Adrian Heath said his star Emanuel Reynoso is a “maybe” to at least be back on the bench after missing the first three months of the season due to a myriad of personal issues.
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