Orioles 15, Twins 2: A Twins Loss that Sums Up the First Half

Box Score
Starting Pitcher: Joe Ryan: 4.1 IP 5 H 5 ER 2 BB 10 SO (98 Pitches, 61 Strikes, 62%)
Home Runs: Edouard Julien (7)
Bottom 3 WPA: Ryan (-.191), Jovani Moran (-.189), Byron Buxton (-.063)

Win Probability Chart (Via Fangraphs):

Familiar Faces, Familiar Results
The Twins faced off against one of their home-raised starters today, as Kyle Gibson took the mound looking to give the Orioles a sweep in his old stomping grounds. Gibson started the game by quickly walking the lead-off man Carlos Correa while trying to nibble the strike zone's edges. Then Gibson proved that he could throw a strike, and Edouard Julien proved he could hit the ball a long way by scorching a double to the right field gap to score Correa from first and put the Twins up 1-0. 

In typical 2023 Twins fashion, the Twins left Julien on base and failed to capitalize with runners in scoring position with nobody out. This lack of attack became an issue immediately in the top of the second inning when Austin Hays greeted a polite Joe Ryan fastball by crushing it to the home run porch in left field. No margin for mistakes when pitching for the Twins, and Hays looks to be healthy again as he heads into next week's All-Star Game.

Ryan Tries to Pitch Like the Twins Offense, and That Ain't Good
Having watched the strike out, walk, or home run outcome approach from the dugout all season long, he tried his version on Sunday against a potent Orioles lineup. While striking out the first eight and ten total batters in 4.1 innings was neat, he followed up the Hays homerun by serving up a long fly ball that didn't stop carrying to Ramon Urias, which put the Orioles up 3-1. Ryan followed that up with two straight walks, ending his outing.

His ERA, however, wasn't done moving, as Jovani Moran came in to clean up Ryan's mess. Moran left after facing four batters, with the score now 8-1. After two RBI singles by Ryan Mountcastle and Austin Hays, a demoralizing (on several levels) Aaron Hicks' three-run home run to right followed. I refuse to place the highlight video here. I also advise that if you didn't see it, watch it when you are in a healthy and safe space...so November.

At Least it's Draft Night
Remember to follow along with the fantastic Twins Daily coverage of the 2023 MLB amateur draft starting Sunday night! The future is our hope! 2027 is right around the corner!

Back to the Game...Because I'm Obligated To
By the sixth inning, Dick Bremer and Glen Perkins were dissecting a town ball home run that Bremer gave up back in the day when the baseballs were hand-stitched. Cole Sands was attempting to return from the injured list, and the Orioles were enjoying it.

Adley Rutschman...gone.
Anthony Santander...gone.
Cedric Mullins...almost gone.

Sands got one out in the sixth and gave up four runs. Jordan Balazovic came in, and gave up two more hits and two more of Sand's runs. 14-1 Orioles.

Knowing that it would take the Twins almost until August to score enough runs to come back when down 14-1, the Twins started packing their bags for vacation week. No vacation for Pablo Lopez and Sonny Gray, however. Those guys have to go to Seattle and try to explain why your number-one-ranked pitching staff is still not over .500.

They Finished the Game...Because They Get Paid To
Julien keeps playing and hitting. Julien sent a 2-1 changeup to the opposite field bleachers to close the gap to 14-2. Julien has the only two Twins hits in the first six innings. Julien is the reason that Kyle Gibson isn't no-hitting the Twins today. Meanwhile, Buxton found a way to have a -.063 WPA in a 15-2 ballgame. That's how bad his at-bats were.

While it's refreshing to think that at least one of the Twins didn't mail in today's game, it's even more distressing to think that Julien is likely the player they will send down once Jorge Polanco returns from the IL. Meanwhile, Buxton will still not be in center field and will take up Wallner's DH spot.

Balazovic was the sacrificial lamb for eating up the pitches in the seventh inning. Santander took his first pitch slider deep to right, squashing the Twins' budding comeback and making it 15-2.

Alex Kirilloff got a lead-off double in the bottom of the seventh! I'll give you three guesses on what happened next, and the first two don't count. Remember, Gibson is still on the mound in the seventh. Strike out, fly out, strike out. I can't make this stuff up. 

Kirilloff continued to play, even to the point of ripping his pants. Jorge Lopez appreciated that some of his teammates played defense into the ninth inning. I'm posting the video because it matters too.

One more item to note, just because I watched until the very last out. Jose Miranda reached on an infield single with two out in the ninth. The play was initially called an out, but Miranda hustled the whole way and beat it out. As Max Kepler flailed weakly at the final pitch to finally end this misery, my thoughts returned to Miranda for some reason. And Kirilloff. And Julien. And Wallner. And Royce Lewis. And Brooks Lee. And whoever we pick 5th in tonight's draft. 

The Twins are invested in a different team than the one performing in the field and lineup this season. The second half will be necessary, but for what reason?

System Failure or Just a Bad Day at the Office?
Luckily for the Twins, the Guardians fell prey to the juggernaut Royals today, so the Twins are only 0.5 games out of the lead in the AL Central entering the All-Star Break. It's one loss. It's also the 45th game in which the Twins scored three or fewer runs.

So tell me, faithful reader of Twins game recaps, no matter the result, what is your honest assessment of the club at the break? Can it get any worse? Can it get any better? Or is it where things are just about right and not ripe for change any time soon?

What's Next: Lopez and Gray hopefully don't injure themselves in the All-Star Game on Tuesday. Then the season begins again...again on Friday, July 14th, versus the Oakland Athletics in the echo chamber known as Oakland Coliseum. Starters for this game have yet to be named, but rest assured, the series will be more meaningful than needed. First pitch is scheduled for 8:40pm CDT.

Postgame Interviews:

Bullpen Usage Chart: