Jeffers preps for pinch homer, celebrates with epic bat flip

Baseball
Published 25.08.2023
Jeffers preps for pinch homer, celebrates with epic bat flip
Ryan Jeffers’ pinch-hit homer powers Twins previous Rangers

n”,”providerName”:”Twitter”,”providerUrl”:”https://twitter.com”,”sort”:”oembed”,”width”:550,”contentType”:”wealthy”},{“__typename”:”Markdown”,”content material”:”“It kind of just happens,” Jeffers stated. “You get in that moment and you know you get it. The rest, you kind of just blank out and … what happens, happens.”nn“That was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen,” Matt Wallner stated. “That was electric.”nn“It was sexy,” Carlos Correa stated.nnMinnesota holds a six-game lead over Cleveland in the AL Central, and this is what the games will feel like in October if the Twins close out the division title. They will need to go toe-to-toe with elite pitching staffs, and with lineups the caliber of the murderers’ row put forth by the Rangers, who clubbed three homers for an early 5-2 lead against ace Pablo López.”,”type”:”text”},{“__typename”:”Video”,”contentDate”:”2023-08-25T02:23:21.654Z”,”preferredPlaybackScenarioURL({“preferredPlaybacks”:”mp4AvcPlayback”})”:”https://mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-08/24/894cd10e-d20f05a0-e1bc62bf-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4″,”type”:”video”,”description”:”Ryan Jeffers discusses his big go-ahead home run, which propelled the Twins to a 7-5 victory over the Rangers”,”displayAsVideoGif”:false,”duration”:”00:00:33″,”slug”:”ryan-jeffers-on-his-go-ahead-hr”,”tags”:[{“__typename”:”GameTag”},{“__typename”:”TeamTag”,”slug”:”teamid-142″,”title”:”Minnesota Twins”,”team”:{“__ref”:”Team:142″},”type”:”team”},{“__typename”:”PersonTag”,”slug”:”playerid-680777″,”title”:”Ryan Jeffers”,”person”:{“__ref”:”Person:680777″},”type”:”player”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”interview”,”title”:”interview”,”type”:”taxonomy”}],”thumbnail”:{“__typename”:”Thumbnail”,”templateUrl”:”https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/upload/{formatInstructions}/mlb/ezu3xojzdbm8sitqgsyi”},”title”:”Ryan Jeffers on his go-ahead HR”,”relativeSiteUrl”:”/video/ryan-jeffers-on-his-go-ahead-hr”},{“__typename”:”Markdown”,”content”:”The Twins answered with five long balls — two from Michael A. Taylor, one from Kyle Farmer, one from Royce Lewis, all before Jeffers’ game-winning blast — outslugging the AL’s foremost lineup of sluggers.nn“If you’re into good baseball games and some good play, and some good drama, this was a pretty good day,” manager Rocco Baldelli said.nnJeffers’ transformation from below-average bat to catcher slashing .282/.380/.493 involved a lot of focused work and preparation in the offseason — and that preparation continues every day.”,”type”:”text”},{“__typename”:”Video”,”contentDate”:”2023-08-25T02:35:42.819Z”,”preferredPlaybackScenarioURL({“preferredPlaybacks”:”mp4AvcPlayback”})”:”https://mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-08/24/7cdc5875-103be06c-f495af78-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4″,”type”:”video”,”description”:”Minnesota racks up five home runs, including two from Michael A. 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Right-hander Josh Sborz entered to guard a 5-4 Texas lead within the backside of the eighth and allowed a single to Wallner and a rocketed double to left-center from Correa in a continued turnaround of his season-long struggles, tying the sport at 5.”,”sort”:”textual content”},{“__typename”:”Video”,”contentDate”:”2023-08-25T01:29:31.506Z”,”preferredPlaybackScenarioURL({“preferredPlaybacks”:”mp4AvcPlayback”})”:”https://mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-08/24/b9103f76-eef5d04d-736206a7-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4″,”sort”:”video”,”description”:”Carlos Correa hammers a fly ball to middle discipline that bounces off the wall for a double, scoring Matt Wallner to tie the sport at 5 within the eighth inning”,”showAsVideoGif”:false,”period”:”00:00:26″,”slug”:”josh-sborz-in-play-run-s-to-carlos-correa-l3qshm”,”tags”:[{“__typename”:”InternalTag”,”slug”:”season-2023″,”title”:”Season 2023″,”type”:”season”},{“__typename”:”GameTag”},{“__typename”:”PersonTag”,”slug”:”playerid-621043″,”title”:”Carlos Correa”,”person”:{“__ref”:”Person:621043″},”type”:”player”},{“__typename”:”TeamTag”,”slug”:”teamid-142″,”title”:”Minnesota Twins”,”team”:{“__ref”:”Team:142″},”type”:”team”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”hitting”,”title”:”hitting”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”highlight”,”title”:”highlight”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”in-game-highlight”,”title”:”in-game highlight”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”game-action-tracking”,”title”:”game action tracking”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”featured”,”title”:”featured”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”fan-duel”,”title”:”Fan Duel”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”eclat-feed”,”title”:”Eclat feed”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”international-feed”,”title”:”International Partner feed”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”alexa”,”title”:”alexa”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”apple-news”,”title”:”Apple News”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”samsung-vod”,”title”:”Samsung VOD”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”imagen-feed”,”title”:”Imagen feed”,”type”:”taxonomy”}],”thumbnail”:{“__typename”:”Thumbnail”,”templateUrl”:”https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/picture/add/{formatInstructions}/mlb/r5ns8noozg54x7wawv0k”},”title”:”Carlos Correa’s game-tying double”,”relativeSiteUrl”:”/video/josh-sborz-in-play-run-s-to-carlos-correa-l3qshm”},{“__typename”:”Markdown”,”content material”:”“If I just focus on the numbers throughout the entire season, I’m always going to be depressed going into a ballpark,” Correa stated. “For me, just go out there, figure it out. All this stuff I’ve been going through this year is going to pass.nn“I’m going to go out there and feel more consistent, feel like the player you were again.”nnLewis walked earlier than the Rangers introduced Smith in to face Max Kepler, who grounded right into a double play. That put Correa on third with two outs, and Edouard Julien, one other lefty, due as much as hit.nnThat was the spot Jeffers had been preparing for. 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Twins catcher completes comeback victory with considered one of membership’s 5 jacks towards Rangers

4:38 AM UTC

MINNEAPOLIS — The ball was actually flying at Target Field on Thursday evening — and Ryan Jeffers took the chance to grab the day.

For the 26-year-old catcher, this has been a 12 months of renewal, of long-awaited payoff after spending the offseason rebuilding his swing from scratch to lastly change into the offensive pressure he at all times believed he can be.

The sequence opener towards the Rangers introduced his signature second. As quickly as Jeffers swung, he knew it, too.

Jeffers watched his pinch-hit, go-ahead two-run homer soar into the second deck in left-center discipline earlier than hurling his bat right into a hovering parabola over his head in entrance of his teammates, bat mimicking the ball that despatched the Twins to a 7-5 comeback win over the American League West-leading Rangers.

“It kind of just happens,” Jeffers stated. “You get in that moment and you know you get it. The rest, you kind of just blank out and … what happens, happens.”

“That was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen,” Matt Wallner stated. “That was electric.”

“It was sexy,” Carlos Correa stated.

Minnesota holds a six-game lead over Cleveland within the AL Central, and that is what the video games will really feel like in October if the Twins shut out the division title. They might want to go toe-to-toe with elite pitching staffs, and with lineups the caliber of the murderers’ row put forth by the Rangers, who clubbed three homers for an early 5-2 lead towards ace Pablo López.

The Twins answered with 5 lengthy balls — two from Michael A. Taylor, one from Kyle Farmer, one from Royce Lewis, all earlier than Jeffers’ game-winning blast — outslugging the AL’s foremost lineup of sluggers.

“If you’re into good baseball games and some good play, and some good drama, this was a pretty good day,” supervisor Rocco Baldelli stated.

Jeffers’ transformation from below-average bat to catcher slashing .282/.380/.493 concerned plenty of targeted work and preparation within the offseason — and that preparation continues on daily basis.

Case in level: When Correa walked into the batting cage in the course of the seventh inning to get free and do his pre-at-bat routine, he noticed Jeffers hitting off a pitching machine set very excessive — and Correa was confused at that.

“I’m going to hit Will Smith’s slider, and he’s got the high release,” Jeffers instructed him.

Jeffers didn’t begin the sport, however as a result of the Rangers prefer to go lefty-lefty out of their bullpen within the eighth and ninth — Aroldis Chapman to Smith — bench coach Jayce Tingler instructed Jeffers to get able to pinch-hit.

Jeffers knew Chapman would assault with fastballs, however he’d by no means seen Smith earlier than.

So, Jeffers cranked the machine as much as mimic Smith’s launch level, and hit slider after slider for 2 innings, preparing for the pitch that Smith throws 48.8% of the time, extra usually than any of his different pitches.

“I was like, ‘Will Smith is going to throw him a slider, and he’s been practicing the slider for two innings already,’” Correa stated.

It labored out completely for the Twins. Right-hander Josh Sborz entered to guard a 5-4 Texas lead within the backside of the eighth and allowed a single to Wallner and a rocketed double to left-center from Correa in a continued turnaround of his season-long struggles, tying the sport at 5.

“If I just focus on the numbers throughout the entire season, I’m always going to be depressed going into a ballpark,” Correa stated. “For me, simply go on the market, determine it out. All these things I’ve been going via this 12 months goes to go.

“I’m going to go out there and feel more consistent, feel like the player you were again.”

Lewis walked earlier than the Rangers introduced Smith in to face Max Kepler, who grounded right into a double play. That put Correa on third with two outs, and Edouard Julien, one other lefty, due as much as hit.

That was the spot Jeffers had been preparing for. He’d seen so many sliders already from Smith’s precise launch level, and he was able to assault it on the primary pitch.

“I told Joey [Gallo] right before I went out there, ‘Hey, if he hangs me one here, I’m putting it in the seats,’” Jeffers stated.

Smith obliged, serving up a belt-high slider on the internal half.

Jeffers couldn’t have been extra prepared. He ready all offseason for this — and he ready all evening for this.

“I was like, ‘Yeah, he’s preparing for that at-bat,’” Correa stated. “And then that at-bat came. And you know what happened.”