Brewers 6, Twins 3: Winder Struggles and Offense Damp in Series Opening Loss

[Jamie Cameron]

The Twins dropped the opener of their two game series against the Brewers 6-3. Josh Winder struggled, the offense had little to offer, and three rain delays piled on the misery.

Box Score
Starting Pitcher: Josh Winder 5.0 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO, 2 HR (85 pitches, 55 strikes)
Homeruns: Jorge Polanco (13)
Bottom 3 WPA: Josh Winder -.349, Gio Urshela -.169, Byron Buxton -.100
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)

On Tuesday evening, after an off day, the Twins opened a two-game series against the Brewers, as part of a six-game homestand leading into the All-Star break. Here’s how the Twins lined up behind Josh Winder.

Josh Winder, coming off a strong performance last time out, was looking to help the Twins rotation get back on track after significant recent struggles. In the top of the first inning, Andrew McCutchen drilled a two-run home run into the flower boxes in right field, giving the Brewers an early 2-0 lead.

Brewers starting pitcher Jason Alexander hardly looked impressive to begin the game, almost beginning the game with back to back walks but being bailed out by some poor Twins at bats. In the second inning, the Twins cut the lead to one, with a solo shot to right field from Jorge Polanco, who has been incandescent since returning from the IL.

Rain was the other significant factor early in the game Both of Gio Urshela’s first two at-bats were interrupted for the first two rain delays of the game, in the second and fourth inning respectively. After returning from the second rain delay, Winder ran into trouble. He walked Jace Peterson to lead off the inning, before a Jonathan Davis single scored Peterson from second. Willy Adames then hit his 18th home run of the year, a two run shot, to increase the lead to 5-2. It was a poor inning from Winder to cap what has been a desperate stretch from the rotation. Therein lies the frustration of the 2022 Twins at the moment. One phase of the team always seems to be struggling.

After Carlos Correa hit into a double play to quickly cancel out a Luis Arraez walk in the bottom of the fifth inning, the game went into its third rain delay. After a 66 minute break, the teams resumed in the top of the sixth inning, with Trevor Megill relieving Josh Winder. Andrew McCutchen led off with a single before a throwing error from Megill on a pickoff attempt moved him to second base. Megill then threw a middle-middle fastball to Jace Peterson, who singled, extending the lead to 6-2. 

The Twins had a rally going in the sixth inning, with a two out walk to Jorge Polanco and Alex Kirilloff getting grazed by a pitch. Kyle Garlick pinch-hit for Nick Gordon and was hit to load the bases. Gio Urshela grounded to short to end the threat and keep the lead 6-2.

Megill and Jovani Moran combined for a scoreless seventh inning. The Twins clawed a run back in the bottom of the seventh. Luis Arraez just missed a home run to right center field, settling for a double. After a Carlos Correa single and a Byron Buxton fielders choice, the score was trimmed to 6-3 in favor of the Brewers.

Moran added a scoreless eight inning before the Brewers bullpen heavy hitters went to work. Devin Williams entered the game and made the Twins look silly, inducing two weak groundouts and striking out Kyle Garlick in the eighth. Josh Hader entered the game in the ninth and that was the game. The loss drops the Twins to 48-41. Cleveland and Chicago split a double header. The Twins lead the AL Central by 3.5 games over Cleveland and 5 over the White Sox.

Bullpen Usage Chart

	THU	FRI	SAT	SUN	TUE	TOT
Duffey	0	0	26	21	0	47
Megill	0	0	22	0	24	46
Cotton	0	42	0	0	0	42
Thielbar	0	13	0	23	0	36
Duran	0	0	14	16	0	30
Jax	0	0	15	11	0	26
Pagan	0	10	0	0	13	23
Moran	0	0	0	0	22	22

Next Up
On Wednesday, the Twins will conclude their series against the Brewers. Joe Ryan goes for Minnesota against Aaron Ashby for Milwaukee. First pitch is 12:10 CT.

Postgame Interviews - Coming Soon

 

 

 

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[rwilfong86]

Still up 3.5, let's get a W today. 

[bighat]

This was the first time the team was really outplayed over their past 8 games. Unfortunately they are 3-5 over that time period.

Polanco sure has come back with some pop in his bat. Has he once again become the Twins most dangerous hitter? He was most definitely the best we had last year.

[Hashim]

Not surprised, there are no elite arms in our "vaunted" farm system. Trade these minor league pitchers for real MLB aces like Sandy Alcantara, Montas, etc. so we can win some playoff games. Even Balazovic and Woods-Richardson are nothing special. 

[rv78]

Ok so Winder was off a bit but he's been on more than off so we cut him some slack. Why is Kepler in the cleanup spot? He's been one of the least productive hitters this year and should be batting no higher that 7th. Polanco, Kirilloff, Gordon, Urshela all hitting better than Kepler but hitting behind him in the lineup. And the $35M man Correa is pretty good at hitting into double plays. He's got to be leading the team in that catagory. 6 hits, 3 runs, 10 left on base. Another game where the offense didn't show up again, so it's not just the pitching.

[terrydactyls]

So Winder pitched the 9th for the Brewers?  Unusual to have a mid-game trade.  Who did we get?

[Whitey333]

Pitching is a big problem.  Just look at the runs allowed the past 6 games.  It was operating on thin ice.  It is now drowning.  If the FO is serious about contending this year it's time to upgrade and make a push for the playoffs.  The division is looking to be given away to someone .  Who will seize the opportunity?

[Jamie Cameron]

12 minutes ago, terrydactyls said:

So Winder pitched the 9th for the Brewers?  Unusual to have a mid-game trade.  Who did we get?

So many kinder ways you could share that I made an error

[Jamie Cameron]

2 hours ago, Hashim said:

Not surprised, there are no elite arms in our "vaunted" farm system. Trade these minor league pitchers for real MLB aces like Sandy Alcantara, Montas, etc. so we can win some playoff games. Even Balazovic and Woods-Richardson are nothing special. 

Why is the farm system 'vaunted'? I think it's widely acknowledged to be the weakest its been in a long time.

[Cap'n Piranha]

This year is really starting to remind me of 2015--the team comes out and overachieves early on, leading to a surprise division lead.  As the season goes on, the team takes on more water, falls back, and ultimately misses the playoffs.

[mikelink45]

Just a baseball game - this one had nothing special to comment on except for the fact that we are lucky and not famous the Brewer Aces.  We struggle with the good teams and that is what the FO needs to recognize.  Winder has enough good games that he is allowed to have one mediocre one.

[jmlease1]

I'd just like to note that it's ridiculous for the manager to have to come out and argue the umpire into suspending the game when the rain is coming done in sheets, fans are fleeing the stands, hitters can't grip the bat, and even on tv it's getting hard to see because it's bucketing so hard. And because they waited so long, the infield looked wrecked afterwards. I doubt it had any significant impact on the result, but good grief. bad job by the umps on that one.

[lake_guy]

1 hour ago, JLease said:

I'd just like to note that it's ridiculous for the manager to have to come out and argue the umpire into suspending the game when the rain is coming done in sheets, fans are fleeing the stands, hitters can't grip the bat, and even on tv it's getting hard to see because it's bucketing so hard. And because they waited so long, the infield looked wrecked afterwards. I doubt it had any significant impact on the result, but good grief. bad job by the umps on that one.

Let's add the outstanding job they did not calling the Brewers runner out when he left the base path to first base.  

[Doctor Gast]

Winder is still a good pitcher, as soon as possible he should be placed in long relief (and some spot starting if need be) and limit his innings, for this year.

[h2oface]

Winder coming out after the second rain delay? I can get on board after one. But the second was just not smart for so many reasons. Counsell knows better. Baldelli? Still learning, l guess. 

[h2oface]

3 hours ago, mikelink45 said:

Just a baseball game - this one had nothing special to comment on except for the fact that we are lucky and not famous the Brewer Aces.  We struggle with the good teams and that is what the FO needs to recognize.  Winder has enough good games that he is allowed to have one mediocre one.

We struggle with the bad teams, too. Detroit. KC. That’s why we are barely a .500 team. 

[mikelink45]

51 minutes ago, h2oface said:

We struggle with the bad teams, too. Detroit. KC. That’s why we are barely a .500 team. 

What is our identity?  We are not a bullpen team, we do not have a shut down rotation, our power is average, our fielding is only average - is that the answer - we are a team of averages playing in a division filled with flaws?

[h2oface]

4 hours ago, mikelink45 said:

What is our identity?  We are not a bullpen team, we do not have a shut down rotation, our power is average, our fielding is only average - is that the answer - we are a team of averages playing in a division filled with flaws?

Yes.

Couldn't resist.

[ashbury]

11 hours ago, Jamie Cameron said:

So many kinder ways you could share that I made an error

It was a kindness to the readership, though.   I LOLed at least.