Yoendrys Gómez taken blown save, loss in 10th

Gómez retired only one of the five batters he faced before being replaced by Kody Funderburk, who saved Gómez’s ERA by inducing a double play. It left with the Twins with a one-run lead entering the ninth, but that was blown by A.J. Minter in what turned into an 11-inning loss. Gómez was back in action tonight following one day off after pitching three days in a row, and the Twins are simply asking for too much from him at the moment. He’s been a great surprise for the team this year, but he’s still an average reliever at best. One imagines that Jeff Hoffman, who pitched a scoreless seventh tonight, will get a chance to take over as the Twins’ closer next year. It should have happened after he was acquired last month.

Gómez entered the ninth with a 2-0 lead but allowed a couple of baserunners before Anthony Volpe smacked a game-tying, two-run double. The game then went to extras, and Minnesota won 5-4 in 13 innings. Gómez leads the club with 20 saves this season and has held onto the role despite the team trading for Jeff Hoffman at the deadline. His track record doesn’t guarantee he’ll enter 2027 as the preferred ninth-inning option, however.

Gómez struck out Tigers outfielder Riley Greene to begin the ninth inning before retiring the next two batters and locking down his 22nd save. He’s come out of nowhere this season to be a crucial pickup for fantasy managers. Gómez began the year with Tampa Bay, had an 6.23 ERA with the Rays and didn’t get his first save with the Twins until May 10. He just picked up his eighth save since the start of August and has a 2.44 ERA in 44 1/3 innings with the Twins.

Gómez’ save was his 21st of the season. He recorded one strikeout in a perfect ninth inning. Gómez hasn’t blown a save all season. He has a 3.56 ERA.

Jeff Hoffman set him up by striking out three out of four batters in the eighth. We thought Hoffman might close today, but the Twins thought it was fine to use Gómez for a third straight day. He picked up saves in every game of the sweep of the Braves.

Gómez pitched around a Michael Harris II double to record a scoreless ninth inning and pick up the save against the Braves on Tuesday. It was his 19th save of the season. With a 3.25 ERA, Gómez has emerged as the top reliever for the Twins this year after many different relievers recorded saves for Minnesota in the first half of the season.

Gómez walked the next batter after the Leody Taveras homer, but he then got a liner back to the mound that he turned into a double play, followed by a groundout. It’s the third time in five appearances this month that Gomez has allowed a run, though one of those was just the automatic runner in the 10th. He still hasn’t blown a save chance this year.

Gómez entered after the Twins failed to score in the top of the 10th. He intentionally walked Garrett Mitchell and then struck out William Contreras before giving up a game-winning single to Jake Bauers. It’s Gómez’s second loss in four appearances this month, but just allowing the automatic runner to score shouldn’t really be held against him. He does need to be sharp going forward with Jeff Hoffman waiting in the wings.

Gómez struck out one batter in this one and needed only 12 pitches to get through the frame. Gómez has now picked up saves in back-to-back days for the Twins despite the team going out and acquiring Jeff Hoffman at this year’s deadline. Gómez continues to be worth holding onto until we see Hoffman eat into his closing role.

In the first save chance since Jeff Hoffman was acquired at the trade deadline, it was Gómez tasked with protecting the lead after Hoffman worked the ninth inning with the team trailing by a run on Wednesday. He made things interesting by allowing a leadoff walk to Salvador Perez but he picked off the pinch-runner at first before retiring Michael Massey on strikes and Issac Collins on strikes to end it. Fantasy managers may not want to drop Gómez just yet, but he very clearly still has a role in the ninth inning, even if it’s sharing the role with Hoffman.