Front Page: Twins Game Recap (8/10): Odorizzi Solid, Offense Takes Advantage of Key Opportunities

[Matthew Lenz]

The Twins and Indians faced off in the third game of their four-game series that was delayed by two hours because of the rain on Saturday night. Jake Odorizzi provided the Twins with six solid innings, while Adam Plutko rolled through three innings on 40 pitches before the Twins hit him hard for two runs in the fourth. Minnesota prevailed, winning 4-1.Box Score

Odorizzi: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 6 K, 60.7% strikes (62 of 102 pitches)

Bullpen: 3.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K

Home Runs: Kepler (32), Gonzalez (13)

Multi-Hit Games: Polanco, Gonzalez, Adrianza

 

Top 3 WPA: Odorizzi (.300), Arraez (.110), Rogers (.082)

 

Odo inefficient, yet effective

Per the FSN broadcast, this was the fourth consecutive start that Odorizzi had thrown 100+ pitches but of the four only his last start versus Atlanta lasted six innings. Part of this is due to Odorizzi’s lack of success the third time through the line up, which seems to be the reason, in most of the cases, he’s been pulled mid- inning, as was the case tonight.

 

Although he struck out six and induced mostly weak contact, Odorizzi also walked four and faced eight three-ball counts while allowing six hits. All that said, he did his job by stranding all nine baserunners and giving the Twins a much needed solid outing from their starter.

 

Twins offense breaks through

Despite having only one hit through three innings, the Twins entered the fourth with an xBA of .290 per Baseball Savant. That coupled with an average 92.7 mph exit velocity meant that it was only a matter of time before the balls started falling for hits. With two-outs in the fourth, Garver snuck a ball past Jose Ramirez down the third base line for a double which was then followed by Arraez’s first career triple. Back-to-back singles by Gonzalez and Adrianza made the game 2-0 before C.J. Cron was thrown out at the plate for the third out. After lead off home runs in the fifth and seventh innings by Kepler and Gonzalez, respectively, the Twins took a 4-1 lead.

 

Other notes

• Puig’s 455 foot home run was Sergio Romo’s first run given up in his last 16 innings
• The Indians finished with eight hits, despite an xBA of .222, per Baseball Savant
• Twins were 3-for-3 with RISP while the Indians were just 1-for-12 and left 20 runners on base
• Per FSN broadcast, this was Taylor Rogers seventh save of six or more outs this year
• Twins are now 6-6 versus the Indians this year and 27-30 against teams at or above .500

This was a much needed win for the Twins who have now gone 2-4 during a week many touted as the most important of their season. They will look to secure a series tie on Sunday and move the lead back to two games over the Indians as Berrios draws the start.

 

Postgame With Baldelli

 

Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet

Click here for a review of the number of pitches thrown by each member of the bullpen over the past five days.

 

Click here to view the article

[Monticore]

Gut check win. Odorizzi came through, and important that they didn't fall behind.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Huge win. Huge.

[Bomba2026]

I can't wait to wave bye bye to Puig tomorrow......

[Aerodeliria]

Yay! Odorizzi is slowly returning to early season form just when we need him most.

[USAFChief]

Into orbit!!!

[rghrbek]

Nobody is pleased with the injury situation, and lack of starting pitcher depth compared to our foe.  However, to see Odo, who until his last start, has not been great, be that good against a vastly improved lineup they have.  Well, it gives me hope that we do have enough pitching to match our thunder.

 

We need our guy Jose to be an ace tomorow.

 

Then we have to figure out who our real horses are moving forward (hopefully Pineda is back soon, and Gibby can salvage his season).  

Huge win!!!!

 

[VivaBomboRivera!]

 

Yay! Odorizzi is slowly returning to early season form just when we need him most.

This is premature.  Goodness knows we're all hoping for it.

 

Cron's and Adrianza's 3-6-3 DP was a thing of beauty.

[theBOMisthebomb]

It sure is nice to see that green line on the leverage index moving toward the Twins side. It seems like every recap in recent memory trended the opposite direction.

[Darius]

That might be the biggest win of the year. Splitting this series today would be incredible. I feel like we’re due for one of those classic 5 bomba/11 run games.

[Darius]

This is premature. Goodness knows we're all hoping for it.

 

Cron's and Adrianza's 3-6-3 DP was a thing of beauty.

Agreed. It was a gutsy performance when we desperately needed a good start. But, I read somewhere that he left a runner in scoring position in every inning he pitched. The results were there tonight, but it definitely doesn’t inspire a sense of security going forward.

[Riverbrian]

If you feel this was a huge win. It was

 

However, 

 

Wait until the win tomorrow... and the one after that... and the one after that. 

 

They only get huge'er from here. 

[terrydactyls]

Yesterday was Saturday, August 10.  It was the 117th game of the year putting the Twins 72% of the way through the season.  The Twins hit 2 home runs raising their record-breaking season total to 228 home runs.  They are now only 39 home runs behind the single-season MLB record.

[jorgenswest]

Odorizzi gave up 1 run across 11 2/3 innings against two very good teams.

 

Every other starter pitched poorly this week. Let’s hope Berrios turns it around today but I am least worried about starting Odorizzi against a good team. He just won’t give in and throw a fat pitch even when behind in the count. The Twins need a better bullpen behind him but that is on the front office.

[rdehring]

Didn't see the game as Mediacom went AWOL about 7pm and didn't return until about 5 minutes after the game ended.

 

Liked Odorizzi's comments in the post game about preferring more pitches to more runs, as he explained his 5.2 inning outing.

 

[jmlease1]

Max Kepler might hit 40 HRs this year. Wow.

 

Luis Arraez continues to stake his claim for the starting 2B job, if not this year, then next year.

[bird]

 

Into orbit!!!

 

I laughed so hard!!!

[jorgenswest]

I think Arraez claimed a while ago a spot in the line up against right handed starters.

[Alex Schieferdecker]

Odorizzi has been extremely reliable and almost always gives the Twins a chance to win, but you know every night that he's only going 5-6 innings because of his difficulties putting batters away. 

 

How to value a pitcher like that?

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

The value of infield defense was displayed in two plays last night. The contrast was a ground ball past Ramirez that started the two-out rally for the Twins in the 4th, and the ground ball that Cron dived for and converted into a double play in the 8th. I don’t know if Sano or Garver makes that play.

[Riverbrian]

 

I laughed so hard!!!

 

Long Live Dick Bremer

[Jham]

Into orbit!!!

..... but caught...

[rkevin]

 

I can't wait to wave bye bye to Puig tomorrow......

He is an enigma. Did you all see him lick his bat? That is just.....weird.

[ashbury]

He is an enigma. Did you all see him lick his bat? That is just.....weird.

I find his affection for ash... deeply disturbing.

[etwink]

Odorizzi gave up 1 run across 11 2/3 innings against two very good teams.

Every other starter pitched poorly this week. Let’s hope Berrios turns it around today but I am least worried about starting Odorizzi against a good team. He just won’t give in and throw a fat pitch even when behind in the count. The Twins need a better bullpen behind him but that is on the front office.

I’d love for Odorizzi to be Max Scherzer and pitch 7/8 innings per game with 15 Ks, but what you see is what you get. He’s going to walk people and struggle with his command...but as long as he can come back and take care of business once he gets runners on, shoot who cares what it looks like!

 

By the way, the way that Arraez has inserted himself as a key cog in the lineup has me recalling another rookie 2B back in 1991. It would be great for 2019 to end like that season!

[strumdatjaguar]

SOLID might not be the right word. The ultimate result of Odo’s pitching was nice. But the reason he had to pitch out of jams is mostly that he walked too many. Another day, a team is going to greater advantage of those walks. Odo needs to be more consistent.

[Mike Sixel]

A win is a win, but sometimes it's good to be lucky. Twenty left on base.....

[jorgenswest]

A win is a win, but sometimes it's good to be lucky. Twenty left on base.....

Given the soft contact and xba there was a little bad luck also. Instead of lamenting some soft contact hits Odorizzi battled.

[Mike Sixel]

Given the soft contact and xba there was a little bad luck also. Instead of lamenting some soft contact hits Odorizzi battled.

Where is the Lamentation? If you don't think twenty left on base involves luck, no skin off my back...

[USAFChief]

A win is a win, but sometimes it's good to be lucky. Twenty left on base.....

nitpic: 10 left on base, not 20.