Kepler Saves Twins in 17 Innings Despite Terrible Baseball and Alex Cora Tantrums

The Twins were yet to lose 3-straight games this season, as they entered Tuesday’s game vs. David Price and the Red Sox with a 2-game losing streak. But, we couldn’t even beat ourselves last night in a 17-inning back-and-forth, that had everything from fielder collisions, to Catcher snap-throw pickoffs, to post-game Alex Cora meltdowns… I couldn’t even stay up past the 10th inning (because I’m an adult with morning responsibilities like typing this), but I heard it was lit.

And it all ended with Max Kepler saving the night morning:

this was a really nice play by boston.

they set it up well with three straight fastballs up. lulled garver into that one. pic.twitter.com/GLhs2a10BT

— Parker Hageman (@ParkerHageman) June 19, 2019

Eddie Rosario and Jake Cave bang into each other on a fly ball to shallow CF. Was a long run for both w/ poor communication between the two. Falls for a double. Both fortunate they didn’t get hurt, stay in the game, 2 outs, T15. #MNTwins #WeirdBaseball

— Dan Hayes (@DanHayesMLB) June 19, 2019

Alex Cora ladies and gentlemen pic.twitter.com/bSBqoqHAsu

— ??????? ??? (@BloodySins_) June 19, 2019

It's been… 84 years. Or 17 innings. One of those two. #TwinsWin pic.twitter.com/znV2cC013d

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) June 19, 2019

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Kepler didn’t just get the game-winning hit. He had 3 out of the 4 Twins’ RBI on the night, and he didn’t even start the game. He came in as a pinch hitter for Marwin Gonzalez in the 6th inning, where he drew a walk. He then went on to collect 3 RBI’s off of a HR and two singles through the rest of the night, including the game-winner in the 17th and his game-tying HR in the 13th (which the Twins needed, after a Mookie Betts HR that hit off of the LF foul pole in the top-half of that extra inning).

Alright… so why was Alex Cora ready to kill that umpire, and everyone in between the two of them, after the game? Well, because he apparently believes that Eddie Rosario was outside of the batter’s box when he went to bunt this baseball (which is illegal — he would’ve been out) in the 17th inning, before he would go on to double before Kepler’s walkoff..

But, replay shows that Alex Cora is just a sore loser.

MLB Rule 6.06 (a):

“A batter is out for illegal action when he hits the ball with one or both feet on the ground entirely outside the batter’s box.”

Is Eddie Rosario safe or out here? pic.twitter.com/ihyUcJ2zm8

— Chris Dixon (@cdixon25) June 19, 2019

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This series is now tied 1-1 and the rubber match will take place tonight with Eduardo Rodriguez taking the mound vs our Kyle Gibson. Speaking of Kyle Gibson, he was the last Twin last night to fail on regional TV during a game they actually ended up winning, by some devine miracle.

.@Twins OF Max Kepler wasn’t supposed to play today, but he went on to tie the game in the 13th — and win it in the 17th!@MarneyGellner caught up with the man of the, uh, morning: pic.twitter.com/1L6nkFtHiw

— FOX Sports North (@fsnorth) June 19, 2019

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Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan