Twins 6, Athletics 1: Everyone Grab Either an Oar or a Bucket

[Matthew Trueblood]

Image courtesy of © Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

Box Score
Starting Pitcher: Zebby Matthews - 5 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 SO
Home Runs: Harrison Bader (6), Ryan Jeffers (4)
Top 3 WPA: Matthews (0.196), Bader (0.131), Griffin Jax (0.079)
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)

On the surface, this looks like another easy win for Rocco Baldelli and the Twins. In some ways, it was. At the same time, viewing the day from a wide lens, it was a stern reminder that tough times still lie ahead for this team, which has already absorbed and survived considerable adversity.

Call it a Zeb Gem
No adversity here, at least. Zebby Matthews didn't have his best stuff, with his fastball down a tick and his control a hair off. All that did was provide a chance for him to prove (to himself, and to Twins fans) that he can win in the majors even without his 'A' game. Sitting around 95 mph but inducing just seven whiffs, Matthews nonetheless cruised through five innings of one-run ball. His arsenal is deep enough, now, that he can switch gears and make more adjustments within outings. He also had the luxury, Wednesday, of facing a team in total freefall. The rest of the night's pitching performances would prove that.

Teres a Major Problem Looming
Pablo López left his start Tuesday night with what the team initially believed to be a lat strain. As can often happen, though, further examination and imaging showed that the injury was actually a strain of his teres major muscle, a neighboring and similar back muscle and the one that ended Joe Ryan's season last summer. López has a Grade 2 strain, and while we'll get more details soon from injury guru @Lucas Seehafer PT, you can safely stash your Pablo Day jerseys until at least the other side of the trade deadline.

That news cast a pall over the later innings of the game, for fans, as it broke on social media during the contest. Happily, the bullpen gave at least some consolation, with a rousing reminder of the potency of the pitching staff even without its ace. Four Twins relievers (Louis Varland, Griffin Jax, Brock Stewart and Jhoan Duran—the four horsemen) combined to allow two baserunners and strike out a gaudy 10 in the final four innings. Can the Twins survive without López? Sure. It just won't be easy. They'll need more nights at least somewhat like Wednesday from their pen, and despite its admirable depth and capacity for dominance, that's asking a lot.

Making Up for Lost Time
The pressure on the Twins offense is also a bit greater if López will be out for multiple months, as seems most likely. Fortunately, they have some hitters of whom it's still fair to expect some improvement. Harrison Bader was brought in for his glove, first and foremost, but his recent struggles at the plate were a disappointing follow-up to a tantalizing start to the season. He busted out with a long two-run home run Wednesday. Meanwhile, Ryan Jeffers cranked just his fourth homer of the campaign. While Jeffers has been adequate overall, the dearth of power production from him has been conspicuous and troublesome so far this year. If this is a sign of that tide turning, it's a very welcome development. Royce Lewis also reached twice in the contest, as he tries to climb out of the offensive chasm he's lived in for the last nine months.

Missing from the lineup, however, was Carlos Correa, a late scratch. He'll sit on Thursday, too, as the Twins try to complete the four-game sweep. Correa felt his sore back flare up after slipping in the batter's box Tuesday. These (among other things) are the inconveniences and the real problems of playing big-league ball in a minor-league stadium. Take it as another reminder that the Twins have to be ready to plug a lot of holes and bail a lot of excess water as they row frantically toward the playoffs in the second half.
 
What’s Next?
At this point, success just means getting everyone onto that plane and back to Minnesota, without further injury. The series win (and a .500 road trip) is in the bag. A sweep (and a winning trip) would be lovely, though, and the Twins will ask David Festa to secure it for them. Festa is taking López's place in the rotation, and bumps back everyone else to provide an extra day of rest at the end of this grueling trip. The A's have tabbed Mitch Spence as the first hurler in what shapes up to be a bullpen game, beginning at 2:35 PM CT.

Bullpen Usage

	SAT	SUN	MON	TUE	WED	TOT
Alcalá	28	0	0	28	0	56
Sands	6	0	0	25	0	31
Stewart	11	0	12	0	15	38
Jax	18	15	0	0	13	46
Varland	18	0	15	0	22	55
Topa	10	0	11	10	0	31
Durán	14	0	0	0	12	26
Funderburk	0	0	17	0	0	17

 

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[Fatbat]

Yeah, we gotta trade pitchers for bats said all the TD talking heads 2 days ago. That has aged like warm bud light. 

[Patzky]

A win with multiple asterisks is still a win.. we are going to have to pull many such wins out, and not all against such an obliging opponent..

Get home get healthy. 

[Doctor Wu]

Good effort by Zebby to get the win, even as noted, without his best stuff. But it's games like this where he still finds a way to get the outs, and that should help him deal with future adversity. 

[dxpavelka]

We've been touting our arms in St. Paul for quite some time.  Time to put up.  Do I think they can?  Yes.  Do I think they will?  That's why they play the games.

[wabene]

Last year was great for getting their feet wet. Now is the time for Zebby and Slim to get deeper in games, the success of this season depends on it.

[Whitey333]

Nice win Twins.  Let's complete the sweep on Thursday.  Then we can come home and play a major league team in a major league ballpark.  Go Twins!

[Peter]

Glad we are done with late night west coast games for awhile!!! Hate them with a passion!!! Got the win!!! Sucks losing Pablo!!! Time for our young guns to step up!!! Get the sweep!!!

[Patzky]

4 minutes ago, Whitey333 said:

Nice win Twins.  Let's complete the sweep on Thursday.  Then we can come home and play a major league team in a major league ballpark.  Go Twins!

But it will be against a major league opponent too. 

[JD-TWINS]

12 weeks for Lopez is going to seem like an eternity…….hope he can actually be healthy by September 1!

Zebby battles - gotta give him credit. Last night it sure seemed like he kept giving up hits with 2 outs ………probably coincidental but it happened repeatedly. Why….focus or lack of? Can’t walk 2 guys in a row and be successful against any team - I realize the competition difference, but it seems odd he walks 2 guys in a month last year and now he’s averaging 3.8 walks per 9 innings.

Here’s to hoping Festa is plug and play this afternoon. Getting Ober & Paddack an extra day of rest helps.

Wallner & Correa out and still score runs - fantastic!

TWINS top 5 Outfielders OPS+ as of June 5th:

Wallner - 142…..Buxton - 123…..Bader - 122……Castro - 121……..Larnach - 110

Bader leading the position players in WAR with 2.0 as of June 5th……..through 2 months, Team has found the elusive RH hitting corner OF.

[Tovar12]

C'mon, really?    A minor league stadium caused Correa to slip and hurt his back?  Plain, and simple, he's injury prone.  Stop making excuses.

[Mark G]

The worst bullpen in baseball is going to go with a bullpen game this afternoon?  As the poet once said, "It is to laugh".  🫠

[JD-TWINS]

Off topic but big part of Team’s success:

Sands - Jax - Duran leading the bullpen was essentially expected heading into the season………. but how about these ERA’s………

Coulombe - 0.00 ….. Topa - 2.14 ….. Varland - 2.54 ….. Stewart - 2.93 ……….Bullpen success to date is becoming ho-hum and all that’s recognized is if a guy gives up a run ……. they have been fantastic.

Duran, reliever of the month for May! …. Jax wasn’t far behind.

[Patzky]

6 minutes ago, Tovar12 said:

C'mon, really?    A minor league stadium caused Correa to slip and hurt his back?  Plain, and simple, he's injury prone.  Stop making excuses.

Slippery dirt. 

[Patzky]

5 minutes ago, Mark G said:

The worst bullpen in baseball is going to go with a bullpen game this afternoon?  As the poet once said, "It is to laugh".  🫠

Do not invoke the baseball gods' wrath. We've lost one starter we can quickly lose a few more.

[CRF]

With Pablo gone, it's time for Zebby, Festa, and maybe even SWR, to step up and show us something. Last night was a step in the right direction...even though it was against the A's. 

[mikelink45]

I am looking forward to Festa's return - not Pablo's absence.  This not moves us down the list is SWR next in line?  Where is Morris - his era is over 4 in AAA (Raya and Lewis have not had good seasons so far)?  Can someone give me the next three?   Is Adams ready? Does someone in Wichita look ready?  Their stats are very good. 

Bader and France and Clemens have really been good pickups - of the three I think Bader has the staying power.  I love the way he plays and the enthusiasm he shows.  Still wondering why Bride is on the roster, but otherwise the team is going great and WIlli Castro is competing for team MVP again.  

One random thought - I would not sit Wallner no matter who is pitching. 

[jmlease1]

Huge bummer to lose Pablo for significant time. Was hoping he was going to be gone for weeks, now it looks like months. At least it shouldn't be a season-ender, and Joe Ryan came back just fine from this injury. The pitching depth will be tested, but Festa looks ready. Hopefully the team will trust Matthews and Festa to see an opponent lineup a 3rd time consistently and see if those guys can go deeper into games.

A's have got some hitters, but their pitching stinks. Glad the Twins have been running it up on them. Thought Royce took good ABs overall and it was nice to see him put up a hit and walk; if he's starting to claw his way out of it, that will be a very good sign for the Twins.

Let's go get the sweep! It's just one game, but funny how much better of a road trip this would feel if they finish it 6-4 instead of 5-5...

[mikelink45]

3 minutes ago, jmlease1 said:

Huge bummer to lose Pablo for significant time. Was hoping he was going to be gone for weeks, now it looks like months. At least it shouldn't be a season-ender, and Joe Ryan came back just fine from this injury. The pitching depth will be tested, but Festa looks ready. Hopefully the team will trust Matthews and Festa to see an opponent lineup a 3rd time consistently and see if those guys can go deeper into games.

A's have got some hitters, but their pitching stinks. Glad the Twins have been running it up on them. Thought Royce took good ABs overall and it was nice to see him put up a hit and walk; if he's starting to claw his way out of it, that will be a very good sign for the Twins.

Let's go get the sweep! It's just one game, but funny how much better of a road trip this would feel if they finish it 6-4 instead of 5-5...

No better arms for Lewis to get going.  A's RP is not pitching - they are for batting practice.  But when I hear 0 - 32 for Lewis I think any hit against anyone is important and I loved his smile - get his enthusiasm back and the bat will follow. 

[FlyingFinn]

23 minutes ago, mikelink45 said:

Where is Morris - his era is over 4 in AAA (Raya and Lewis have not had good seasons so far)?  Can someone give me the next three?   Is Adams ready?

After Festa and SWR, Morris certainly is next. Then, it gets murky. I would say Adams(is on the 40 man so could actually get called up before Morris), Lewis, Dobnak. Prielipp is only pitcher in Wichita who could be ready (Baker maybe if we think 2 months of good pitching in his pro career is a sure thing) but he needs a giant piggy-back. Raya isn't ready.

[Parfigliano]

2 hours ago, Patzky said:

A win with multiple asterisks is still a win.. we are going to have to pull many such wins out, and not all against such an obliging opponent..

Get home get healthy. 

When they get these obliging opponents they have have have to win.

[Parfigliano]

51 minutes ago, mikelink45 said:

I am looking forward to Festa's return - not Pablo's absence.  This not moves us down the list is SWR next in line?  Where is Morris - his era is over 4 in AAA (Raya and Lewis have not had good seasons so far)?  Can someone give me the next three?   Is Adams ready? Does someone in Wichita look ready?  Their stats are very good. 

Bader and France and Clemens have really been good pickups - of the three I think Bader has the staying power.  I love the way he plays and the enthusiasm he shows.  Still wondering why Bride is on the roster, but otherwise the team is going great and WIlli Castro is competing for team MVP again.  

One random thought - I would not sit Wallner no matter who is pitching. 

Free Wallner!!!

[Dman]

The A's aren't a team full of good pitchers so not too surprised the Twins bats have broken out, but you still have to preform and good on the Twins for taking 3 straight so far.  They are still hanging with the big boys so that's good.

[mickster]

6 minutes ago, Parfigliano said:

Free Wallner!!!

I agree - however, just back from injury maybe a planned day.  At least lets hope

[DJL44]

30 minutes ago, FlyingFinn said:

After Festa and SWR, Morris certainly is next. Then, it gets murky. I would say Adams(is on the 40 man so could actually get called up before Morris), Lewis, Dobnak. Prielipp is only pitcher in Wichita who could be ready (Baker maybe if we think 2 months of good pitching in his pro career is a sure thing) but he needs a giant piggy-back. Raya isn't ready.

McLeod is an option. McCaughan could get another look as a short-term solution.

[arby58]

1 hour ago, CRF said:

With Pablo gone, it's time for Zebby, Festa, and maybe even SWR, to step up and show us something. Last night was a step in the right direction...even though it was against the A's. 

For all the A's faults (and there are many), they are a pretty good hitting ballclub. Among the 30 MLB teams, they are 6th in total bases, 7th in home runs, and 8th in batting average and OPS. The top of their order last night had OPS's of .797, .904, .795, and .805. That's not too bad.

[Patzky]

1 hour ago, Parfigliano said:

When they get these obliging opponents they have have have to win.

It was those obliging opponents (Sox and Angels mostly) last year that set us up for a playoff run; and those darn Red Sox, Guardians, and Orioles who sent us packing. Gotta play who is on the schedule! We usually do play well against the Jays and the Rangers are floundering. I smell success knock on summer sausage.

[Patzky]

20 minutes ago, arby58 said:

For all the A's faults (and there are many), they are a pretty good hitting ballclub. Among the 30 MLB teams, they are 6th in total bases, 7th in home runs, and 8th in batting average and OPS. The top of their order last night had OPS's of .797, .904, .795, and .805. That's not too bad.

Yes! Middle of their order all had 12, 13 HRs. Let's keep em there.

[Western SD Fan]

Another great win, especially keeping the A's bats in check.  I think the Pablo injury shuts the door on the Paddack discussion pending a collapse before the deadline.  I also have a feeling this community will also be even more hyper-sensitive of Rocco's bullpen usage as we are going to need every out we can get from the starters as I would expect the length of the starters will go down.  It's looking like the team is learning the lessons from Lewis in how they are treating Wallner.  With Wallner, they waited until it looked like he was ready (beyond ready for some people) and are willing to give him days off as he was just activated from the IL on Saturday.  Finally, we need to ride the Bader train into the ground as he is still hitting out of his skis for the year, even if that means costing Wallner or Larnach an at-bat or two once in awhile.

[Western SD Fan]

2 minutes ago, Patzky said:

It was those obliging opponents (Sox and Angels mostly) last year that set us up for a playoff run; and those darn Red Sox, Guardians, and Orioles who sent us packing. Gotta play who is on the schedule! We usually do play against the Jays and the Rangers are floundering. I smell success knock on summer sausage.

The series with the Blue Jays always concerns me.  It seems the entire city of Winnipeg travels down to the TC for the series and it's about 1/2 Blue Jays and 1/2 Twins fans.  Maybe that explains why Festa is pitching today instead of on Friday as now we have our best (remaining) pitchers going for the Toronto series.