Twins Video
Box Score
SP: Bailey Ober 6.0 IP, 5H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K (73 pitches, 53 strikes (73%))
Home Runs: Ty France (2)
Bottom 3 WPA: Cole Sands -.390, Willi Castro -.214, Jose Miranda -.175
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs):
The game got off to a rocky start for Bailey Ober, who gave up three straight singles in the first inning, including an RBI knock from Salvador Perez that put Kansas City up 1-0. But the Twins quickly responded. Ty France stayed hot, launching his second home run in as many games to tie the game at 1-1 in the second.
Minnesota nearly grabbed the lead that same inning, after Edouard Julien doubled and advanced to third on a throwing error. But he was cut down at the plate on a perfect play from Jonathan India, and the game remained tied.
The deadlock continued until the sixth inning, when the Twins finally broke through. Trevor Larnach and Ty France worked walks, setting the table for Ryan Jeffers to drive in Larnach with an RBI single. But the Twins squandered yet another golden opportunity to add on. With runners on the corners and one out, Julien struck out looking and Jose Miranda pushed a weak grounder to second to end the inning.
That missed opportunity came back to haunt them quickly. Cole Sands relieved Ober (who had thrown just 73 pitches through six strong innings) and got into immediate trouble. After hitting Freddy Fermin and allowing back-to-back singles, Sands gave up a game-tying sac fly. One batter later, Kansas City took a 3-2 lead on a Michael Massey single.
The Twins tried to rally in the ninth. They got two runners aboard with one out, but once again, the bats went cold. A strikeout and a groundout ended the threat and the game.
Minnesota went just 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position, stranding runners in multiple key spots. The offense simply hasn’t clicked, and now, 13 games into the season, the Twins sit at 4-9, with only one series win (against the White Sox) to show for it.
Another talking point will surely be the decision to pull Ober after such light work. While his velocity dipped into the upper 80s late in his outing—possibly a lingering effect from the virus that limited his first start—the choice to go to the bullpen early proved costly.
What’s Next?
After dropping the series in Kansas City, the Twins return to Target Field for a three-game weekend set against the Detroit Tigers. David Festa is slated to start Friday’s opener against Reese Olson, as the Twins look to capture their first non-White Sox series win of the season and dip for the first time into their wealth of minor-league starting depth. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m.
Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet
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