The Cleveland Baseball Club outfielder provided just enough for the team to come out on top over the Twins Tuesday.
Called up the day before and in need to prove that he has a spot on the big league roster, Daniel Johnson stepped up to the plate in the 5th inning already 0-1. Eager to get a hit after flying out in the 2nd, Johnson took a hack at a first pitch curveball and missed. Opening an at-bat with a off speed pitch, particularly a curveball is a risky endeavor as it can lead to a batter keying in on a fastball since it is unlikely he will see two curves in a row. That is just what happened as Johnson took a middle-in fastball on the very next pitch and hit it on to the concourse in right field.
This was one of two hits on the day for Daniel Johnson, the second of which was a lot less exciting, an infield single. However, the important aspect of his first hit it was enough to give Cleveland a win. Minnesota could only muster one run in the contest while Cleveland scored three, two of which came on Johnson’s home run in the 5th. The third run came in the 6th with Amed Rosario scoring on a Wilson Ramos sacrifice.
The story of the game was not all about Daniel Johnson and the offense. Eli Morgan took the hill to start the game and delivered an impressive performance. Morgan would allow just three hits and two walks over 6 innings, keeping the Twins off the scoreboard along the way.
Minnesota did have a chance to do some damage thanks to a shaky outing from Trevor Stephan. Stephan walked the bases loaded while failing to record an out in the 8th. James Karinchak was called into action and managed to keep the damage to a minimum, just one run scoring on a fielder’s choice. Emmanuel Clase would come in the 9th, striking out two batters to earn the save.
