Bailey Ober performed brilliantly for six innings on Saturday, but the Twins turned an easy victory into a difficult one.
Detroit closed the gap in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings by scoring one run. However, fill-in closer Griffin Jax was outstanding in the ninth inning, securing a 4-3 win. At this point, the Twins will take them any way they can after breaking a five-game losing run.
Fortunately, the offence was on point Saturday, thanks to three big sacrifice flies.
“Our guys did a good job of fighting at the plate today and getting enough done to win the game,” manager Rocco Baldelli said.
On Sunday, the Twins will aim to win a series for the second time this season. They are winless in their last five series after winning two of three in Kansas City to start the season.
We’re only 19 games into the season. However, the Twins struggled to a 7-12 start and opened Saturday in fourth place, seven games behind Cleveland in the American League Central. Small sample size? I’m not too sure.
I’m concerned about the summer moves, the offence, the rotation, depth, and health.
As a result, questions regarding their capacity to repeat as division champions are legitimate. It’s an impressive appraisal little than a month into the season, especially because most predictions, including mine, had them winning the Central again.
Derek Falvey, the Twins’ president of baseball operations, was given a budget that was approximately $30 million lower than a year ago. A challenge? Certainly. Is this an insurmountable task? Certainly not.
However, his offseason changes have been reflected in the Twins offence, with several swings and misses so far.
Carlos Santana, 38, is batting.123. His glovework appears seamless at first. However, first base is an offensive position.
Manuel Margot, an outfielder, is hitting.175.
Lefthanded hitters are 4 for 10 against Steven Okert.
Righthander Justin Topa is injured, but this isn’t a major setback because the bullpen has been typically dependable. It simply hasn’t had many games to close.
Righthander Anthony DeSclafani never pitched for the Twins before undergoing season-ending elbow surgery. Jorge Polanco was their finest trade chip this winter. DeSclafani, the starting pitcher acquired as part of the trade, will add nothing.
This is concerning since the Twins lack rotation depth. Louie Varland, Sunday’s starter, and Chris Paddack have the same 8.36 ERA. Perhaps the Twins have identified and removed the imposters who have been pitching in their uniforms. If not, the Twins lack a rotation capable of extending winning streaks.
The Twins are flirting with fire here.
They’re batting.194 overall, with a.280 on-base percentage and hitting.140 with runners in scoring positions. So they aren’t getting on base, and when they do, they aren’t returning home. The Twins went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position Saturday.
If third baseman Royce Lewis can heal from a strained right quad by the All-Star break, the Twins will be grateful. Carlos Correa, the shortstop, is sidelined with an oblique strain and hasn’t been tested much. Meanwhile, the left side of the infield is experiencing a decline in output, defensive ability, and athleticism.
Max Kepler fouled a ball off his knee on Opening Day, went 1-for-16 afterward, and was placed on the injured list. He’s missed 12 games due to a knee injury. Another good defensive player is out of the lineup. It’s fantastic to see Byron Buxton contribute defensively, but he’s not driving the ball on offence.
There are simply too many worries to ignore regarding this team’s capacity to compete. There is plenty of time to turn things around, but about half the roster must get on track.
A baseball team typically takes two months to define its identity, two months to make roster changes if it isn’t the team it wants to be, and the last two months to push into the postseason.
Drawing inferences from 19 games may be premature guesswork.
But in this circumstance, it is appropriate to be concerned.
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