Twins 1, Blue Jays 3: Big Walks Keep on Turning, Blue Jays Keep on Burning (the Twins)

[Matt Braun]

Rude of the Twins to soil an ode to Tina Turner like that.

Image courtesy of Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports

Box Score
Louie Varland: 6 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Home Runs: None
Bottom 3 WPA: Byron Buxton (-.177), Michael A. Taylor (-.175), Donavon Solano (-.142)
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)

There were inklings from the start.

We should have known that this would be an atypical game—more than usual for baseball—from the opening frame of whimsicality. Odd and with a strange rhythm, the Blue Jays and Twins slowly descended into their melee, subtly altering the standard rules of engagement to treat the dual-citizen fans to a unique game.

It started in the first: George Springer doubled, eventually finding himself standing on third base with just one out—a prime chance to score. A Vladimir Guerrero Jr. grounder appeared a tantalizing chance for the former Astro to plate a run, and Springer revealed his hand, taking off for home, although with uneasiness. Carlos Correa—undaunted; evidently footless, if news reports were to be believed—snagged the chopper, chased down his unsure victim, and then gunned down a greedy Guerrero at first base to end the inning. And so the game started.

The Blue Jays—victims of circumstance, a good team trapped in a nightmare division—entered the match fresh off a brutal, deflating loss to an elite Tampa Bay team. The players decided a meeting was in order; no coaches were allowed. The team was good, yes, but their context was not an excuse to their players and their demands.

The meeting appeared to work. Two scoreless innings begat a fruitful offensive explosion; Kevin Kiermaier blasted a solo homer in the third before Bo Bichette, flowing and smooth, shot a ball to deep center field, adding two more runs to Toronto’s total. 

It was the culmination of Louie Varland’s troubles on Friday night. The righty was fine, effective, only two lame pitches away from finding shutout success. But such is the life of a pitcher and Varland—although unharmed in any other frame—eventually exited his start with a trio of runs to his name over six innings of work. He struck out three.

Unfortunately for the Twins, their challenge for the day was Kevin Gausman, an ace by every metric perfectly capable of dominating the strike zone with ease. 

Yet the day’s unusual nature extended beyond baserunning casualties and ninth-hitter homers: Kevin Gausman couldn’t find the zone. He did at times—earning eight strikeouts along the way—but Minnesota lived with the punch outs, fine with the trade-off causing Gausman to throw more pitches than he would like. They ended with five walks off the starter; he entered the day with 11 on the season in total. Gausman’s day ended when Kyle Garlick smoked an RBI double to plate Minnesota’s first run.

All things couldn’t be happy, though, and the Twins extended their bases loaded struggles by coming up empty in two trips to the plate. Home plate umpire Bruce Dreckman aided, failing to restrain himself from calling a ball a strike against Michael A. Taylor, swinging the game from a 3-2 match with the potential for more to a 3-1 game with the dead weight of lost potential crushing Minnesota’s shoulders.

So we entered a battle of relievers. Emilio Pagán carried Minnesota for two frames, allowing no runs or hits while punching out three batters; he needed just 21 pitches. Toronto selected from their assortment of pitchers as well, sending out arms unable to escape the walking curse of their brethren while ultimately exiting harmlessly with a few extra baserunners to their name.

Byron Buxton threatened to inch the game closer with a warning track warning shot, but the Twins could find no fortune in the 9th, falling in the same fashion that cursed the team in every other inning on Saturday.

Notes:

Louie Varland has thrown at least five innings in five of six starts for the Twins in 2023.

Kevin Gausman's five walks were the most for him since another five-walk start on June 29th, 2021.

Christian Vázquez's last extra-base hit came on April 13th. 

Post-Game Interview:

 

What’s Next?
The Twins and Blue Jays will play game two of the series on Saturday; Pablo López will start opposite Chris Bassitt and first pitch is at 1:10 PM.

Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet

 

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[jkcarew]

Blue Jays were 2-8 in their last ten…not exactly rolling.

The pinch hitting for Kirilloff (while he’s been hitting fine and showing power, no less) with the likes of Solano and now Castro…and early in games as well…Is this not inexcusable? Or just embarrassing? Or is it just me?

[Galen]

Really missing Arraez (.382) and Urshella (.308)

[Aggies7]

For the love of god, can someone in the central get hot and bypass us? Who wants to see this team in the playoffs, again?

[darwin22]

Well......at least our collection of misfit batters ( I can't say hitters) remain consistent in one area:

Whiffs!----Another 12 tonight keeps our MLB rank at #1!  Now at 508 for the season.  

Others may disagree, but this group at this rate-------averaging 9.96 whiffs (imagine what that number would be with Sano still here!) per game--------has a REALISTIC chance to break the MLB team record of 1596 K's by the 2021 Cubbies.

111 games to play x 9,96 per game= 1105.56......add that to our current 508= 1613.56.

Imagine the marketing opportunities if this dubious mark can be achieved.

 

 

[jkcarew]

18 minutes ago, Galen said:

Really missing Arraez (.382) and Urshella (.308)

We’re bad offensively, but we’re not missing Gio Urshella and his 86 OPS+.

[#3Killer]

I just shake my head in disappointment. We hear from the players how confident they are in each other and what a great team they have- but no one can step up. Does any member of this team- and the manager and coaches have any fire in their belly to go out, compete and win? 

[VivaBomboRivera!]

Some positives to take away from a tough loss:

• Twins batters showed outstanding patience today, working at least 18 3-ball counts and drawing 9 walks (sadly, they were not rewarded for this approach - one might even say they wuz robbed)
• Conversely, Twins pitchers threw an aggregate 72.1 % of their pitches for strikes
• Carlos Correa is a monster in the infield; adds value by preventing runs, not just generating them

[darwin22]

36 minutes ago, #3Killer said:

I just shake my head in disappointment. We hear from the players how confident they are in each other and what a great team they have- but no one can step up. Does any member of this team- and the manager and coaches have any fire in their belly to go out, compete and win? 

Fire in the belly from THIS team?  Hmm.....I agree with you 100%, but then again showing toughness, grit and accountability goes against the grain of this team's mantra:  "Trusting the process"

[Aggies7]

 

[Mark G]

1 hour ago, Galen said:

Really missing Arraez (.382) and Urshella (.308)

Yes!

[dcswede]

Down 3-0 in the third. Did anybody have any confidence that the Twins were going to come back?

[Blyleven2011]

5 hits , 9 walks and no timely hitting  , unbelievable  we could not muster a clutch hit ...

12 strikeouts  , very concerned  that the batters all need glasses ...

[h2oface]

3 hours ago, jkcarew said:

We’re bad offensively, but we’re not missing Gio Urshella and his 86 OPS+.

Numbers. I do miss hits. Hits of all kinds. A couple of those singles after a couple of walks, and it means a run scores. But another walk just loads the bases, and we all know that is the kiss of death for this team. I like all hits. Even more than walks.

[h2oface]

Great double play by Correa, but high baseball IQ for the basic "run right at the runner if he strands himself between bases" is something all little leaguers are taught (I would hope still). I think Correa does have a high baseball IQ, but I don't know that performing one of the basics properly means this was an example of that. Impressive DP nonetheless.

“It seems like we're almost winning every game, but we can't finish it,” Correa said. “We have a really good team. We just haven't been able to put those clutch hits together in order to give our pitchers comfortable leads. There's still a lot of season left, but we've got to turn it on here pretty soon.”

Real soon, and especially Correa at the plate. I like the confidence, but time to deliver. Talk is proving very cheap.

 

[VivaBomboRivera!]

9 minutes ago, h2oface said:

Real soon, and especially Correa at the plate. I like the confidence, but time to deliver. Talk is proving very cheap.

1 for 3 with two walks today, sure beats a poke in the eye with sharp stick. OPS now over .700, but a few more to knocks to carry a team that desperately needs carrying would not go amiss.

His one-hop, pirouette throw to Solano from deep in the hole at second was also a thing of beauty.

[Squirrel]

This offense is an offense to baseball. But the pitching is still good.

[Mark G]

5 hours ago, jkcarew said:

We’re bad offensively, but we’re not missing Gio Urshella and his 86 OPS+.

I am.  Crap, right now I would settle for Refsynder (..286 with a .409 OBP).  😏

Somewhat tongue in cheek; but seriously, enough of the OPS being the gold standard.  Our two power hitters are slashing (and I use that term loosely) .211 and .231.  Gallo has 24 hits and 17 are for extra bases.  The other almost 4 out of 5 times?  Buck has just over half his hits for extra bases.  Between the 2?  Just over 35% strike out rate.  As h2oface points out walks just load the bases, so walking them doesn't necessarily hurt a pitcher, and if any of the 21 home runs between them had come with the bases loaded..........I can't let myself think about it.  Enough of the all or nothing golf swings.  Just hit the ball.  Then we will talk about average with balls put in play.  To some of us that beats the solo home run every 3 or 4 (or 5.......) games.  Between Louis, Gio, and Ref, I would take their numbers right now over virtually anyone on this roster.  For all our slugging percentage, we have scored TWO runs or less in exactly 1/3 of our games as of now, and 3 or less not counting extra innings (where you get a ghost runner) over half, so what has it done for us?  Give me the hitters; you can keep the sluggers.  

[Doctor Wu]

I love the fact that the Twins were able to get on base via walks 9 times ... but of course you need to bring those runners home and that didn't happen. 13 men left of base! Pitiful. 

[Doctor Wu]

6 hours ago, VivaBomboRivera! said:

Some positives to take away from a tough loss:

• Twins batters showed outstanding patience today, working at least 18 3-ball counts and drawing 9 walks (sadly, they were not rewarded for this approach - one might even say they wuz robbed)
• Conversely, Twins pitchers threw an aggregate 72.1 % of their pitches for strikes
• Carlos Correa is a monster in the infield; adds value by preventing runs, not just generating them

Yes, that was a VERY heads-up play by Correa to get Guerrero at first base. Would be nice to see him start hitting better, but you can't fault his work at shortstop. 

[bighat]

I see no reason why Royce Lewis won't be immediately activated when eligible and immediately placed in the #3 hitting spot. 

 

[rv78]

9 walks and 5 hits and Rocco couldn't find an opportunity to manufacture a couple runs. Laughable.

[Major League Ready]

11 minutes ago, rv78 said:

9 walks and 5 hits and Rocco couldn't find an opportunity to manufacture a couple runs. Laughable.

I guess I missed Rocco's plate appearances w/risp.

[weitz41]

8 hours ago, Galen said:

Really missing Arraez (.382) and Urshella (.308)

Chances are they'd just be standing in the dirt watching the other batters strike out which wouldn't make this an improvement..

9 walks one run scored..44% of their outs can from K's..No home runs..

3 true outcome offensive team.

The offense has made this a disappointing season to this point. This pitching staff is the reason why we are two games ahead of the second-place team instead of the last place team.

[silverslugger]

8 hours ago, darwin22 said:

Well......at least our collection of misfit batters ( I can't say hitters) remain consistent in one area:

Whiffs!----Another 12 tonight keeps our MLB rank at #1!  Now at 508 for the season.  

Others may disagree, but this group at this rate-------averaging 9.96 whiffs (imagine what that number would be with Sano still here!) per game--------has a REALISTIC chance to break the MLB team record of 1596 K's by the 2021 Cubbies.

111 games to play x 9,96 per game= 1105.56......add that to our current 508= 1613.56.

Imagine the marketing opportunities if this dubious mark can be achieved.

 

 

Ummm, I'll put my hat in the ring..."Come watch the whiffiest whiffers as they attempt to get a whiff of the playoffs!"

[Beast]

This club is a joke.  Get Baldelli out of here.  
 

The league needs to fix this crap (if it isn’t intentional).  A team walks that many guys through the game (aka. done nothing to earn the benefit of the doubt) and you call a ball a foot off the plate a strike with bases juiced for a strikeout?  Absolutely disgraceful.  Winning and losing is such a fine line in this league that you just can’t be successful if you’re getting those called as often as the Twins are.  

[mikelink45]

2 hours ago, Mark G said:

I am.  Crap, right now I would settle for Refsynder (..286 with a .409 OBP).  😏

Somewhat tongue in cheek; but seriously, enough of the OPS being the gold standard.  Our two power hitters are slashing (and I use that term loosely) .211 and .231.  Gallo has 24 hits and 17 are for extra bases.  The other almost 4 out of 5 times?  Buck has just over half his hits for extra bases.  Between the 2?  Just over 35% strike out rate.  As h2oface points out walks just load the bases, so walking them doesn't necessarily hurt a pitcher, and if any of the 21 home runs between them had come with the bases loaded..........I can't let myself think about it.  Enough of the all or nothing golf swings.  Just hit the ball.  Then we will talk about average with balls put in play.  To some of us that beats the solo home run every 3 or 4 (or 5.......) games.  Between Louis, Gio, and Ref, I would take their numbers right now over virtually anyone on this roster.  For all our slugging percentage, we have scored TWO runs or less in exactly 1/3 of our games as of now, and 3 or less not counting extra innings (where you get a ghost runner) over half, so what has it done for us?  Give me the hitters; you can keep the sluggers.  

Or Spencer Steer - 285 with 831 OPS

[mikelink45]

There isn't much left to be said - I just have to say I agree with the posts - hits do count, hits drive in runs, hits move the runners.  Strikeouts?  Yikes.  When has Gallo last made a difference.  Why PH for Kiriloff - he is one person who might get a hit.  Something has to change.

[rwilfong86]

I have a feeling this is gonna be a long summer with lots of quality pitching but next to no run support. 

[John Belinski]

Bases loaded and the Twins have a hitter that is 0-7 in last 2 games with 4 K's coming to bat so I was thinking that maybe Rocco would pinch hit for him, but that was too much to hope for. Instead he does pinch hit for AK later in the game. Rocco has no feel for the game. Looks like Twins will have losing record by end of May.  Then maybe the front office will give him another new contract for 5 more years of losing. I feel sorry for the fans.