MLB Rankings: Greatest Hits in Week-12
9. Max Kepler, 43 percent
No matter what happens the rest of this season, the Minnesota Twins will remember their 17-inning, 4-3 victory over the Red Sox Tuesday night. They’ll also remember Max Kepler for winning it for them.
Kepler delivered three decisive shots that night, without any one of which the Twins don’t win. The first came in the bottom of the eighth with Boston holding a 2-1 lead. Kepler’s single drove in Mitch Garver with the tying run.
That sent the game into extra innings. In the top of the 13th, Mookie Betts homered to give Boston a 3-2 advantage. When Kepler led off the bottom of the 13th against Hector Velasquez, Minnesota’s chances of winning measured just 21 percent. He homered, improving the odds of a Twins victory by 43 percent, to 64 percent.
The game proceeded scoreless through the 14th, 15th and 16th innings. In the bottom of the 17th, Minnesota loaded the bases with one out on a single by Luis Arreaz, an Eddie Rosario double and an intentional walk to C J Cron. In a decisive moment, Kepler loomed again, this time facing Brian Johnson. He took the first pitch for a ball, then delivered the single that scored Arreaz with the game-ending run.
The total impact of Kepler’s three critical at bats? It was 91 percent.