Astros 5, Twins 2: Houston Lifts Off Against Ryan

[Ted Schwerzler]

Following Pablo Lopez's strong outing against the Houston Astros on Friday, Joe Ryan experienced his worst start of the season on Saturday. The Twins right-hander couldn't keep the ball in the yard, and Joe Espada's team struck early and often.

Image courtesy of © Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports

Box Score
SP: Joe Ryan 5.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 4 K (95 pitches, 58 strikes, 9 whiffs)
Home Runs: N/A
Bottom 3 WPA: Joe Ryan (-.247), Christian Vazquez (-.092), Willi Castro (-.045)

Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)

Longball Beats Ryan Early
Joe Ryan took the mound against the Houston Astros for the first time since facing them during the 2023 American League Division Series. Completing just two innings in that contest, and facing eight batters, he gave up a run on two hits. The Astros lineup is largely unchanged from that series, but the results have been substantially different this season.

After getting Jose Altuve out to open the game, Ryan walked Kyle Tucker and allowed Yordan Alvarez to kick off the scoring with a big fly. Down 2-0, after the first inning, Houston got Ryan again in the 2nd inning. Jose Abreu recently returned from his first trip to the minors, and he figured out enough with his swing to launch another Ryan ball into the seats. Tucker tagged Ryan for a dinger in the third inning, and he had now given up three on the day despite allowing just seven in his first 11 starts.

The Barrage Continues
Despite coming into the contest with a HR/9 below 1.0 for the first time in his career, Ryan saw regression in a major way against the Astros. Houston wasn’t done with the longball following the first three, as Alvarez got Ryan yet again, for Ryan’s fourth home run in the game. The designated hitter’s fifth inning solo shot made it a 5-0 ballgame and closed the book on Minnesota’s starter’s day.

It wasn’t until Manuel Margot started off the seventh inning with a single against Framber Valdez that the Twins put a tally in the hit column. Advancing to second base on a wild pitch, Margot scored Minnesota's first run when Jose Miranda singled and brought him home. Miranda, too, advanced on a wild pitch before Byron Buxton worked a seven-pitch walk. With two outs in the top of the seventh inning, the Twins had something cooking. But Willi Castro grounded out and one was all they would get.

Diego Does Work
Veteran Diego Castillo came on to work the sixth inning in relief of Ryan, and he shut down the Astros for two innings. Working around two hits and a walk, he struck out one and continued to keep the perfect 0.00 ERA since joining the Twins.

 

Finally getting to the Houston bullpen in the eighth inning, Minnesota immediately put runners on against Bryan Abreu. An Edouard Julien pinch-hit single and Carlos Santana walk had them in business with nobody out. Christian Vazquez continued his horrid season, killing the scoring chance with a double play. Max Kepler took Margot’s at bat and drew a walk, which extended the inning for Carlos Correa. The former Juice Box shortstop smacked a broken bat single to score Julien, but Ryan Jeffers couldn’t come through as the tying run.

Josh Staumont got the bottom of the inning for Minnesota, and while he continues to throw up zeroes, the velocity was noticeably down today. Topping out at 91.8 mph on his sinker, he was roughly 3 mph down from his season average. Josh Hader came on for the ninth inning and shut down the Twins in order. Buxton was robbed of a home run by Jake Meyers on a leap at the wall, but that was was the extent of a threat. Winning the series will be reliant on a win Sunday.

 

Notes
Royce Lewis got the day off for Triple-A St. Paul, and Sunday’s action should be his last before returning to the majors. Walker Jenkins had a three-hit day in FCL action, and Saints catcher Jair Camargo joined him on a rehab assignment, picking up a double.

What’s Next? 
Simeon Woods Richardson goes on Sunday against Hunter Brown as the Minnesota Twins wrap up a series with the Houston Astros. After an off-day on Monday, they’ll get the New York Yankees in The Bronx. Royce Lewis is expected to rejoin the team.

Postgame Interviews

Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet

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[Patzky]

Twins had only questions no Frambers.

[USAFChief]

Somebody please try to defend this: you're down 5-1 in the 8th, 2 on nobody out, with Christian "sub-.400 OPS" Vazquez due up...RH reliever on the mound who CANNOT leave the game ...and you let Vazquez hit. With 3 LH sluggers on the bench available to PH.

I don't care if it would cost the DH. You HAVE TO PH there. You have to. 

But no. Rocco "can't wait to get my LH hitters out of the game" Baldelli doesn't.

Weak tap to short, 6-4-3, bingo bingo bongo, 2 out 1 on.

We need a MLB manager. 

[Parfigliano]

38 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

Somebody please try to defend this: you're down 5-1 in the 8th, 2 on nobody out, with Christian "sub-.400 OPS" Vazquez due up...RH reliever on the mound who CANNOT leave the game ...and you let Vazquez hit. With 3 LH sluggers on the bench available to PH.

I don't care if it would cost the DH. You HAVE TO PH there. You have to. 

But no. Rocco "can't wait to get my LH hitters out of the game" Baldelli doesn't.

Weak tap to short, 6-4-3, bingo bingo bongo, 2 out 1 on.

We need a MLB manager. 

Guy over uses pinch hitters all year then doesnt use one when the situation screams for one.  It was idiotic.

[Parfigliano]

All Astro runs this series have been via HR.

[Blyleven2011]

Let's get them tomorrow  and win the series , not much exciting happened unless your a Houston fan ...

[SwainZag]

3 hours ago, USAFChief said:

Somebody please try to defend this: you're down 5-1 in the 8th, 2 on nobody out, with Christian "sub-.400 OPS" Vazquez due up...RH reliever on the mound who CANNOT leave the game ...and you let Vazquez hit. With 3 LH sluggers on the bench available to PH.

I don't care if it would cost the DH. You HAVE TO PH there. You have to. 

But no. Rocco "can't wait to get my LH hitters out of the game" Baldelli doesn't.

Weak tap to short, 6-4-3, bingo bingo bongo, 2 out 1 on.

We need a MLB manager. 

I would be curious to see how many managers have given up the DH spot this season.  I'm sure it has to have happened at least a few times?

[DJL44]

Quote

Castillo said there weren't necessarily any mechanical changes that helped him find his control after he'd posted 57 strikeouts and 42 walks combined between Triple-A Tacoma and Seattle last season. The Twins, he said, helped him find better mental cues for locating his pitches as they worked together in bullpen sessions.

"More controlling the ball," Castillo said. "Throw the ball by thinking about the spots where I'm going to throw the ball. Yeah, they helped me a lot."

 

[FlyingFinn]

Very SSS but Castillo appears to be our Stewart from last year at the moment.

[D.C Twins]

5 hours ago, USAFChief said:

Somebody please try to defend this: you're down 5-1 in the 8th, 2 on nobody out, with Christian "sub-.400 OPS" Vazquez due up...RH reliever on the mound who CANNOT leave the game ...and you let Vazquez hit. With 3 LH sluggers on the bench available to PH.

I don't care if it would cost the DH. You HAVE TO PH there. You have to. 

But no. Rocco "can't wait to get my LH hitters out of the game" Baldelli doesn't.

Weak tap to short, 6-4-3, bingo bingo bongo, 2 out 1 on.

We need a MLB manager. 

Testify!!!! 

[D.C Twins]

Hope this doesn't become a trend.... Whey Ryan petered out a bit last year.... it was because he started to give up more HR....

[William K Johnson]

Replacing Larnac, Kepler, Kiriloff and Julien with Margot, Farmer, Vasquez, and Santana does not seem to work out very well.    Vazquez may be our worst free agent signing ever, and I realize that says a lot.   

[DJL44]

2 hours ago, William K Johnson said:

Vazquez may be our worst free agent signing ever, and I realize that says a lot.   

It says you haven't signed many bad free agents. Teams make free agent signings worse than Vazquez all the time.

[USAFChief]

7 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

It says you haven't signed many bad free agents. Teams make free agent signings worse than Vazquez all the time.

Maybe, maybe not. But they don't put them in the lineup every other day.

[Riverbrian]

2 hours ago, William K Johnson said:

Replacing Larnac

I was confused at first. Then I realized that this is the same Trevor that we all know but he gets this spelling when he holds sealed envelopes up to his head and is able to guess the contents. 

[USAFChief]

10 hours ago, SwainZag said:

I would be curious to see how many managers have given up the DH spot this season.  I'm sure it has to have happened at least a few times?

I'm sure it has, but who cares? It's the 8th inning. You need 4 to tie. 2 on, none out, a RH reliever that can't be removed. One of the weakest hitters in baseball at the plate. Multiple LH options on the bench. Top of the order up next.

You HOPE the 9th spot in the lineup rolls around again and you have to PH or let your pitcher hit. That would be a GREAT outcome.

I'd bet every other manager in baseball PH's in that spot.

Did any of the weak Twin City media even ask the question? Did the author above?

It's so blindingly obvious.

[Karbo]

13 hours ago, USAFChief said:

Somebody please try to defend this: you're down 5-1 in the 8th, 2 on nobody out, with Christian "sub-.400 OPS" Vazquez due up...RH reliever on the mound who CANNOT leave the game ...and you let Vazquez hit. With 3 LH sluggers on the bench available to PH.

I don't care if it would cost the DH. You HAVE TO PH there. You have to. 

But no. Rocco "can't wait to get my LH hitters out of the game" Baldelli doesn't.

Weak tap to short, 6-4-3, bingo bingo bongo, 2 out 1 on.

We need a MLB manager. 

I don't know why they have Vazquez catching when facing a lefty. If he plays he should be DH so he can be PH for. At least, they should have had him bunting with runners on. I've got no problem letting him catch, just seems to me they don't take advantage of the situation when they can.

[Riverbrian]

1 hour ago, USAFChief said:

I'm sure it has, but who cares? It's the 8th inning. You need 4 to tie. 2 on, none out, a RH reliever that can't be removed. One of the weakest hitters in baseball at the plate. Multiple LH options on the bench. Top of the order up next.

You HOPE the 9th spot in the lineup rolls around again and you have to PH or let your pitcher hit. That would be a GREAT outcome.

I'd bet every other manager in baseball PH's in that spot.

From what you have described. 

You give up the DH in that situation. 

At the time... He had 3 lefties to choose from. Leaving two available to pinch hit for the pitcher's spot should it come around again. Hader left handed out of the bullpen is a consideration but you have to score some runs to make him a consideration so he is not a consideration. 

The only reason you wouldn't... Is some magical gut feeling that Vazquez is giving off a "I got this" vibe or just not thinking it all the way through and locked into Jeffers is the DH so there is nothing to be done. 

Then again... I couldn't watch the game. 

[Riverbrian]

11 minutes ago, Karbo said:

I don't know why they have Vazquez catching when facing a lefty. If he plays he should be DH so he can be PH for. At least, they should have had him bunting with runners on. I've got no problem letting him catch, just seems to me they don't take advantage of the situation when they can.

They are getting Jeffers extra AB's by giving him the DH Job against Left Handers. 

[LambchoP]

Vasquez is a good defensive catcher and it's been fun to watch him throwing out potential base stealers. He is pretty much an automatic out at the plate this year though, and it is not sustainable given the struggles of so many of our other RH hitters. I'd say cut or losses and call up Camargo or whoever else is looking good. Wouldn't take much at all to improve over Vasquezs rally killing numbers...

[Karbo]

1 hour ago, Riverbrian said:

They are getting Jeffers extra AB's by giving him the DH Job against Left Handers. 

I understand that, but if Jeffers caught then Vazquez could be PH for w/o losing the DH spot. Only against lefties that is.

[DJL44]

2 hours ago, Karbo said:

I don't know why they have Vazquez catching when facing a lefty. If he plays he should be DH so he can be PH for. At least, they should have had him bunting with runners on. I've got no problem letting him catch, just seems to me they don't take advantage of the situation when they can.

Vazquez should never be the DH. The only reason to put him in the lineup is for defense.

[DJL44]

32 minutes ago, LambchoP said:

I'd say cut or losses and call up Camargo or whoever else is looking good. Wouldn't take much at all to improve over Vasquezs rally killing numbers...

Camargo just came off the injured list. The other AAA catchers are hitting .193 and .194 and they're both worse defenders than Vazquez. You have to go down to A-ball to find a Twins minor league catcher who is hitting well.

[Riverbrian]

1 hour ago, Karbo said:

I understand that, but if Jeffers caught then Vazquez could be PH for w/o losing the DH spot. Only against lefties that is.

Then Jeffers most likely wouldn't play today because it would be his third day of squatting behind the plate. 

 

[Karbo]

1 hour ago, DJL44 said:

Vazquez should never be the DH. The only reason to put him in the lineup is for defense.

yet he's in every other day. I agree he shouldn't be. but Rocco wants his platoon. at least at DH he could be PH for.

[Karbo]

Just now, Riverbrian said:

Then Jeffers most likely wouldn't play today because it would be his third day of squatting behind the plate. 

 

It doesn't seem to matter if Vazquez plays 3 days in a row? The answer would be someone who could catch besides those 2, or getting rid of Vazquez, which I don't see this FO doing.

[Riverbrian]

26 minutes ago, Karbo said:

It doesn't seem to matter if Vazquez plays 3 days in a row? The answer would be someone who could catch besides those 2, or getting rid of Vazquez, which I don't see this FO doing.

I'm not defending Rocco's catcher rotation or platoon usage... but... Vazquez has never caught three games in a row. He caught two games in a row May 20th and May 21st against the Nats when Washington threw lefties Parker and Corbin at us back to back. Otherwise it's working out as every other day. 

 

[DJL44]

50 minutes ago, Karbo said:

yet he's in every other day. I agree he shouldn't be. but Rocco wants his platoon. at least at DH he could be PH for.

When Lewis comes back I am hoping to see less of Jeffers at DH for this reason.

[USAFChief]

37 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

When Lewis comes back I am hoping to see less of Jeffers at DH for this reason.

And more at catcher.

[DJL44]

4 hours ago, USAFChief said:

And more at catcher.

Yes, even if they continue the every other day starting catcher rotation they could pinch hit Jeffers for Vazquez late in the games.