Twins Video
Game 1: BOS 3, MIN 2
Maeda: 4.1 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Home Runs: None
Game 2: BOS 7, MIN 1
Berríos: 4.1 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
Home Runs: None
Twins continue to struggle with RISP
The theme of the Twins four-game losing streak has been their inability to come up with hits when they need them most. In those four games, the Twins are a paltry 3-for-35 with runners in scoring position, which included 1-for-9 in the first game of Wednesday’s double-header. When you consider that the Twins have lost those four games by a combined total of six runs, it becomes even more painful to realize how winnable each of those games were.
Maeda’s rough 2nd inning
The game got away from Kenta Maeda in the second inning, something we have not seen much of in his time in a Twins uniform. The inning started with three straight singles to left field, before the wheels fell off on a sac bunt attempt.
https://twitter.com/redsoxstats/status/1382404588658167810
This was followed by yet another single to left field, giving the Red Sox a three-run lead with still nobody out. Maeda then settled down and was able to get out of the inning without allowing another run. This was big, as it kept the Twins within reasonable striking distance early in the game, as opposed to allowing the Red Sox to blow the game open right then and there.
Polanco’s big hit in the 3rd
As mentioned previously, the Twins went just 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position in game one. That one hit came off the bat of Jorge Polanco, when he hit a perfectly placed ground ball single up the middle to drive in both of the Twins runs in the game.
The inning got started with a couple of singles from the Ryan Jeffers and JT Riddle at the bottom of the order. Luis Arraez followed that up with a sharp line drive, but unfortunately it went right to left fielder Franchy Cordero. A wild pitch during Polanco’s at-bat allowed both runners to advance a base, which Polanco capitalized on a couple pitches later.
The Twins had a chance for more, as Nelson Cruz kept the chain moving after he was hit by a pitch. However, Max Kepler and Willians Astudillo failed to come up with a big hit that likely would have tied the ball game.
Brandon Waddell Houdinied his way to two shutout innings
In just his second appearance of the season, Brandon Waddell kept the Red Sox off the scoreboard in the sixth and seventh innings to keep the Twins deficit at just one run. However, those innings were far from clean. In the sixth, Waddell got an easy pop out to start the inning, before being hit sharply by each of the next three Red Sox batters. Fortunately for Waddell, Alex Kirilloff made a nice catch on the second one.
With two on and two outs, Waddell got J.D. Martinez to flyout to end the threat.
Waddell decided to turn the stress level up another notch in seventh, after giving up a leadoff double to Xander Bogaerts, followed by a ground ball single to Rafael Devers to give the Red Sox runners on first and third with nobody out. Devers advanced to second on a groundout by Marwin Gonzalez, before Waddell loaded the bases by walking Hunter Renfroe. With the Twins chances of a comeback very much on the line, Waddell buckled down and got two pop ups to escape a second consecutive inning without allowing a run.
Twins 7th inning threat
Despite coming up short, the Twins did not go down quietly in this game. Jake Cave got things started with a leadoff walk. Then, after a Ryan Jeffers strikeout, Cave stole second during Miguel Sano’s at-bat, who was pinch-hitting for JT Riddle. Later in the at-bat, Sano made a bid to tie the game, but his sharp liner down the left-field line hooked just far enough and landed foul by about a foot. Sano would ultimately strikeout in that at-bat.
There was still hope, with a runner on second and Luis Arraez at the plate. rraez had hit the ball hard all game, but had nothing to show for it. That trend continued in his last at-bat who made a great bid for a game tying single, but was robbed by Alex Verdugo (who had moved over from center to left as part of a defensive switch) on this great game ending catch.
https://twitter.com/RedSox/status/1382443509786017804
Per Baseball Savant, Arraez’s batted ball had an expected batting average of .710. In total, Arraez’s four batted balls had an average expected batting average of .438, yet he was unable to get credit for a single hit, going 0-for-4.
Donaldson’s hamstring is tested early in his return
After injuring his hamstring in the first inning of the first game of the season, Josh Donaldson made his return to the Twins lineup in game two of the double-header, and that injury was immediately put to the test. Donaldson reached based with a one out single, keeping his batting average at a perfect 1.000 to start the season. Nelson Cruz followed that with a single to right, putting the pressure on Donaldson who had to run all out to just reach third safely on a bang-bang play.
Donaldson then had to give it one more full gas sprint, as he tagged up from third on a not very deep flyball from Kyle Garlick, giving the Twins an early one to nothing lead. While I’m sure the Twins did not care to see Donaldson’s injury tested right away, it was encouraging to see him round the bases in this manner without even the slightest sign of a lingering injury.
Berrios was cruising, until he wasn’t …
Building off his first two starts of the season, Jose Berrios was cruising his way through the first part of this game. Through four innings, Berrios had faced just one more than the minimum and looked like he was on his way to a seven-inning shutout. However, things quickly unraveled on his command, as he walked in the tying run, after loading the bases with one out.
Tyler Duffey came in to relieve Berrios, and after striking out Enrique Hernandez, he was just one strike away from getting out of the jam with the game still tied. Unfortunately, that is not what happened as the Red Sox were able to bring five more runs across the plate before Caleb Thielbar was finally able to record the third out of the inning.
It’s still early, but this start is concerning
In the grand scheme of things, 5-7 is not a season killing start, especially when nobody in the rest of the division has more that six wins. However, it is hard not to be concerned when watching this team. They are making countless mistakes, failing to come through when the game is on the line, and have received questionable at best managing from Rocco Baldelli. It would be one thing if the Twins were getting beat by teams that are having great games, but that is not the case. Almost all of these loses can be pinned on mistakes and poor play by the Twins. There is still plenty time to fix it, but it is definitely something that needs to be fixed.
Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet
Click here to see the bullpen usage over the past five days (link opens a Google Sheet).
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