Article: TOR 7, MIN 4: Rosario Homers Twice as Twins Drop Game, Series

[Tom Froemming]

After three encouraging starts to open the season, Michael Pineda was pounded in his fourth start today. He gave up as many runs in the fourth inning as he had all season prior to today. Eddie Rosario provided some pop, hitting his fifth and sixth home runs of the season, but it wasn’t enough.Box Score

Pineda: 3.2 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 64.0% strikes (48 of 75 pitches)

Home Runs: Rosario 2 (6)

Multi-Hit Games: Rosario (2-for-4, 2 HR), Astudillo (2-for-4), Schoop (2-for-4)

WPA of +0.1: Rosario .105, Harper .100

WPA of -0.1: Kepler -.144, Pineda -.472

Download attachment: Win418.png

(chart via FanGraphs)

 

The Twins did not pitch well in this series, but another reason why they dropped three out of four games to Toronto is they didn’t do an especially great job at scoring runs either. A grand total of 16 runs were scored by Minnesota, no more than five in any game.

 

Not that you ever expect to win on a day your staff surrenders seven runs.

 

While Pineda had an awful day, the much beleaguered Twins bullpen actually held things together despite the shorts start. Ryne Harper held the Blue Jays to one hit over 3 1/3 innings, Tyler Duffey gave up a solo home run but also had two more strikeouts and Trevor May pitched a perfect inning.

 

Rosario was the big star at the plate, though it was too bad both his homers were of the solo variety. The three batters in front of him in the lineup combined to go 0-for-12, though Max Kepler and Jorge Polanco each drew a walk.

 

Willians Astudillo and Jonathan Schoop, a couple of guys who had been ice cold heading into today, each recorded a pair of hits. Byron Buxton hit his eighth double, had an RBI ground out and stole his fourth base of the season.

 

Postgame With Baldelli

Bullpen Usage

Here’s a quick look at the number of pitches thrown by the bullpen over the past five days:

Download attachment: Bullpen418.png

Next Three Games

Fri at BAL, 6:05 pm CT (Berrios-Cobb)

Sat at BAL, 6:05 pm CT (Perez-TBD)

Sun at BAL, 12:05 pm CT (Gibson-TBD)

 

Last Game

MIN 4, TOR 1: Pitching Staff Redemption Night

 

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[Rosterman]

The Twins need to find strength in their rotation. That's Job #1. The guys have to get into the sixth or beyond. Period.

 

Our bullpen is solid, once you can match them up to a certain order of use.

 

The line-up is fine. Would like to see some better baserunning overall. Man, you weigh in what a good Sano would be like in this mix.

[howieramone2]

May had a perfect inning? Twins win the pennant!

[Yawn Gardenhose]

An embarrassment of a series. 10% into the season is a small sample size, of course, but I don't see this team as being all that close to Cleveland, who mind you hasn't had a fully healthy Ramirez or any of Lindor yet - frankly they've been terrible offensively, and they're still four games over .500. As TK used to say, the three most important things are pitching, pitching, and pitching, and that's still holding true nowadays. 

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

No Bautista, no Donaldson, no Pillar, no problem!

 

No pitching? Problem.

[h2oface]

Bullpen solid....... that made me laugh.....

 

Congrats to Harper, who came in with a runner on second, and got the last out in the 5th, and improved his inherited runners scored from 5/8 to 5/9! And continuted to pitch 3 more 1 hit scorless innings! Now that is what we need. Relief.

 

Sad series all in all. 1-3 to Toronto. At home. Damn.

[Mr. Brooks]

Yeah it's early, yeah it's one series. But losing 3 of 4 at home to a terrible team isn't encouraging.

[yarnivek1972]

The Twins need to find strength in their rotation. That's Job #1. The guys have to get into the sixth or beyond. Period.

 

Our bullpen is solid, once you can match them up to a certain order of use.

 

The line-up is fine. Would like to see some better baserunning overall. Man, you weigh in what a good Sano would be like in this mix.

Translation: Using the same 2-3 guys in key spots in winnable games.

 

Over a 162 game, 6 month season, that doesn’t work. ALL the guys have to be able to get outs in key spots reliably. No one expects 100% success, but right now they are below league average in allowing inherited runners to score. A team can’t call themselves a legitimate contender with a below average bullpen today.

[MMMordabito]

At least Berrios is pitching tomorrow

[Old Twins Cap]

Orioles and Rays go to extra innings in Florida. 

 

Burn the bullpen boys, and have safe travels getting back to Baltimore.

[shimrod]

Baldelli is the biggest problem to date. No experience and it shows. We're going to waste another season getting the manager up to speed. In the long run he may work out but in the short run he's killing us. 

[DocBauer]

Not going to bang on Pineda. Some days your starter just doesn't have it. We've actually beat up a couple high profile pitchers this early season. It happens. Key is what happens his next start.

 

This offense can be dangerous, and they've had very good games, but it feels like they are out of Sync a bit.

 

The pen is tightrope walking. And I don't knkw if that's going to change anytime soon, unfortunately. May and Mejia settling down and just pitching to their capabilities would go a long way to making me feel better.

 

We have blemishes, we have areas to improve on. Is it just me being an optimist, but I kinda like this team and just feel a little more consistency could go a long way.

 

I absolutely feel we were the better team this whole series. Feels like we coulda/shoulda/woulda swept the whole thing...but we didn't. Sucks. Do the Jays have our number? It happens.

 

There is always tomorrow. But it just feels like we really lost an opportunity this series.

[rghrbek]

 

Not going to bang on Pineda. Some days your starter just doesn't have it. We've actually beat up a couple high profile pitchers this early season. It happens. Key is what happens his next start.

This offense can be dangerous, and they've had very good games, but it feels like they are out of Sync a bit.

The pen is tightrope walking. And I don't knkw if that's going to change anytime soon, unfortunately. May and Mejia settling down and just pitching to their capabilities would go a long way to making me feel better.

We have blemishes, we have areas to improve on. Is it just me being an optimist, but I kinda like this team and just feel a little more consistency could go a long way.

I absolutely feel we were the better team this whole series. Feels like we coulda/shoulda/woulda swept the whole thing...but we didn't. Sucks. Do the Jays have our number? It happens.

There is always tomorrow. But it just feels like we really lost an opportunity this series.

 

 

Agree mostly with Doc.  Pineda deserves longer consideration, as he's been mostly good.  I believe in this line up, eventually for power.  I worry about Buck batting over .250 over the long haul, but I will take .250, and Kepler at leadoff is just weird.

 

It's super early, so I get that.  Our bullpen has been not good, and weird by the way, which most of us predicted.  Starting pitching was ok, but Cleveland, KC, and Toronto have awful lineups.  Our results should be better.  

 

I know Gibson is coming off ecoli, but he did not finish strong last year and is not throwing strikes this year.  Still think he can be better.  I don't believe in 3 of our 5 starters as locks though.  Again it's early, so I am not in panic mode.  

 

Couple that with a new manager who at best is trying new things, but often not making sense...again no panic, but we should not lose 3 of 4 to a terrible Toronto team at home.  We have lots of games without these weird off days, so we will know more soon.

[Aerodeliria]

I wasn't happy that Toronto was playing so poorly coming in. I'd rather have them playing mediocre. I am always afraid that they will suddenly start playing better. I think this was part of the reality of this series, although the Twins also gave them more opportunities than they should have.

[bighat]

Bad job of two out hitting with runners in scoring position, advancing runners, doing the little things.

 

This team looks like it could be great, but they will have to start playing smarter. The talent is there.

[mikelink45]

Our team offensive WAR is 3.0 fWAR, Polanco has 1.2 and Garver and Rosario 0.6.

Cleveland has -0.6 fWAR lead by Santana with 0.9

Royals 2.6 fWAR (and a lot of people laughed at their speedy lineup) Alex Gordon leads with 1.0 WAR

Tigers -0.3 fWAR with Niko Goodrum 0.4 the leader.

White Sox 1.6 WAR - Tim Anderson is 1.2

So yes - our lineup is the best in our division (no comparisons with other divisions!)

 

Pitching fWAR

White Sox = 1.1

Twins = 2.6

Tigers = 2.6 Who would have thought!

Royals = 0.5

Indians = 3.6

 

We have a decent lineup - and our pitching is holding up, but the Indians pitching is the difference.  

 

In the full MLB rankings by positions we are 17 in starting pitching and we are low at every IF spot except SS where Polanco ranks first and we rank #18 overall in OF.  It is easy to root for our hometown players, but on the big screen we are looking like a middle of the pack - .500 team at this point. 

 

[Linus]

Many of us pointed out that due to the swing and miss nature of our lineup the offense will be inconsistent. And everyone except Falvine apparently knew our bullpen would suck

[Doctor Wu]

After all the anxiety and lack of confidence in our bullpen, I detect more positive signs lately. Might the bullpen even be one of the team's strengths by year's end?

[ashbury]

Might the bullpen even be one of the team's strengths by year's end?

Depends on whom they trade for.

[Number3]

Rosario homers twice and Twins still only plate 4. A good pitching performance might still have been wasted. I'll still take 9-7 even though a split with the Jays would have made it 10-6. Now its Os and Stros for the rest of the month and anything over .500 by May 1 is fine. Then let the season begin.

[Mike Sixel]

 

Baldelli is the biggest problem to date. No experience and it shows. We're going to waste another season getting the manager up to speed. In the long run he may work out but in the short run he's killing us. 

 

couldn't disagree more strongly. the issue is pitching talent. And it isn't close.

[Linus]

couldn't disagree more strongly. the issue is pitching talent. And it isn't close.

This. There is no making a silk purse out of a sows ear. This is on Falvine

[USNMCPO]

With the questionable starting pitching the Twins have, where could help be? Looks like Gio G. is going to opt out on his contract with the Yankees. Is he someone the Twins could use? After a bad first start in AAA, he looks to have righted the ship.

[Mike Sixel]

 

With the questionable starting pitching the Twins have, where could help be? Looks like Gio G. is going to opt out on his contract with the Yankees. Is he someone the Twins could use? After a bad first start in AAA, he looks to have righted the ship.

 

Gaterol. That would be my first step.