Marlins 9, Twins 5: The Twins Offense Wasn't Enough to Overcome the Bad Pitching

[Sherry Cerny]

Image courtesy of © Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

Box Score
SP: Simeon Woods-Richardson - 3 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 1 K (88 pitches, 48 strikes (49% strikes)
Home Runs: Byron Buxton (15), Kody Clemens (4)
3 WPA: Simeon Woods-Richardson (-0.47), Luke Keaschall (-0.12), Matt Wallner (-0.07)
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)


We’re in Our ‘Fix the Starter’ Era
After an absolute gem from Bailey Ober on Tuesday, the Twins handed the ball to Simeon Woods-Richardson heading into the night, still searching for his first win.

Almost immediately, you could tell this would not be that night. He issued a walk to Xavier Edwards, and an error by Luke Keaschall on a ground ball by Liam Hicks doubled the trouble. Otto Lopez followed with an RBI single that should also have produced an out, and Kyle Stowers walked to load the bases. Connor Norby then hit into a double play that still brought in a run, giving Miami an early 2–0 lead. Victor Caratini threw out Jakob Marsee on an attempted steal to end the inning, but the defense had let Woods Richardson down—and he had done nothing to help himself.

Minnesota answered right away. Byron Buxton led off the bottom of the first with a first-pitch solo home run, cutting the deficit to 2-1. It was a skyscraper, a high pitch Buxton hit very hard but clipped the bottom half of, but which still easily carried into the bleachers down the left-field line.

But Miami kept applying pressure in the second inning, breaking through again with a two-run homer that stretched the lead to 4-1. Woods Richardson never really found a groove, and in fact, he hasn't found one all season.

While the pitching struggled to settle in, Buxton kept the Twins alive. He struck again in the third inning, launching another first-pitch home run, giving the Twins their second run. After being burned on a high four-seamer, Max Meyer tried a low sinker. The result was different, in that Buxton hit a screaming liner this time. It was the same, in that he circled the bases with his 15th dinger of the year. Could he hit 40 before 2026 is over? It's absolutely in play.

New Pitchers, Same Old Problems
The first four batters of the top of the fourth inning reached against Woods Richardson, with two more scoring. Derek Shelton turned to his much-rested bullpen, but not the way he'd hoped he might be able to. Travis Adams entered in relief, but could do little damage control. A single through the drawn-in infield scored two more runs. Adams closed the barn door, but the horses were long gone.

The Twins scored twice in the bottom of the fifth, on a well-placed double by Josh Bell, but Adams couldn't keep the game within slam range. Edwards tripled past the hopelessly immobile Matt Wallner in the sixth and came home on a fielder's choice, stretching the lead to 9-4 Miami. Justin Topa took over and minimized damage, though he hardly looked dominant in his first outing since having his own doors blown off a week ago.

So It Goes…
By the time the game reached the later innings, what had been a long, grinding contest finally began to settle into a quicker rhythm as both sides cycled through the bullpen. Luis García came out in the eighth inning and mopped up the mess. Tristan Gray made the second of two good catches on pop-ups behind third base; he looks more like the team's short-term regular third baseman every day.

Kody Clemens offered one last jolt of life in the bottom of the eighth with a garbage-time home run. If he and Bell can get going again at the plate, the team will have a moral victory to take away from the loss.

What’s Next?
The Twins will close out against the interleague series with a rubber match tomorrow in an afternoon game at 12:40 PM CT, before the Brewers come over to continue the nine-game homestand. The Twins are expected to promote Triple-A starter Zebby Matthews for his first outing of the year. After rookie Robbie Snelling landed on the injured list, the Marlins will also reach into their farm system, for Braxton Garrett.

Postgame Interviews 
Coming soon.

Bullpen Availability Chart

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[soyouresayingtheresachance]

As good as Ober was yesterday, Sim was the opposite tonight. He seems to be getting worse, much like Royce. So many batters are struggling. 

Not a terrible night for the pen, I suppose. 

Clemens has looked better recently.  

Man is it fun to watch Buck! 

[Parfigliano]

SWR should not get another start

[GNess]

I understand it is not an advanced metric, but it matters:

Twins are 1-7 when SWR starts a game. (17-17 in other games.)

[Nshore]

The Wallner/Lewis drain circle watch.  Wallner - 4 strikeouts.  Lewis nailed to the bench.

[Hashim]

SWR should get demoted or traded. He’s been horrendous. Why stick with him when he’s lost you 7 games before you even played 50 games. 😡😡

[Aggies7]

It’s going to be really hard to put up our third straight season with a 12+ game win streak 😂 

[DocBauer]

This is kinda simple. SIMS has to have an injury. Maybe he has the proverbial "tired arm" injury.  But he needs an IL and rehab stint because this is NOT the SWR we've known before.