Series Preview (@BAL 6/30-7/2): When the Smoke Clears, will the Twins' Season Still be Alive?

Like Twins manager Rocco Baldelli, I don't have words for the last stretch of Twins baseball. That makes it challenging to write an article, but I'll do it anyway so that everyone can vent or cheer as relevant.

The Twins will enter Friday night's game in first place thanks to a Guardians team broiled in its own struggles and emotional drama. For the Twins, last week was as low as they've been all season, leading to a closed-door, players-only meeting. I will allow you to comment on what good a players-only meeting does. Here are Baldelli's thoughts on the week thus far:

We love baseball because the season is only half over after Friday night, and the glass can still be half full! The Twins have had second-half turnarounds before, and there isn't a way to prove it can't happen again. Could this be the moment that wakes the team or seals their fate? The 48-31 Baltimore Orioles will have something to say about that answer as the Twins enter Camden Yards.

Familiar faces abound on the Orioles roster (Thanks to Seth Stohs @sethtweets for his Twins Almanac skills):

Weather Factor: Smoky! Hot, with temps in the high 80's to low 90's. Visibility and air quality could be huge issues for the teams and the fans. Rain enters the forecast for Sunday's game but would only delay at best.

Pitching Probables

Game 1 – Monday, June 26th, 2023 – 6:05 pm CDT –  Twins RHP Pablo Lopez (3-5, 4.41 ERA) has experienced the brunt of the Twins offensive woes. The reality, unfortunately, is that Lopez is also doing exactly what he's done over the past few seasons. He's been a sub-.500 pitcher with an ERA of 4.01 over 110 games. Bad luck has been discussed, and advanced stats paint a prettier picture than the reality: Lopez isn't a game-changing arm. The Twins will need at least five runs to win this game, and they've only accomplished that three times in their last 15 games. Seriously.

The Orioles send RHP Dean Kremer (8-3, 4.50 ERA) to the mound to face Lopez, and Kremer is trending in the opposite direction as the season progresses. Unlike Lopez, Kremer's ERA is sinking over his last seven starts, and he's winning games. Kremer's OPS allowed is higher, and he is giving up harder contact, but it's not leading to ballooned innings, and his offense scores runs. Statcast all you want, Kremer has been a superior pitcher this season for his team, and he's licking his chops to face the Twins lineup.

Expect a heavy left-handed lineup for the Twins on Friday night. I don't see the drama of the past week changing the company line against right or left-handed starters and relievers any time soon. That strategy will go down with the ship.

Game 2 – Saturday, July 1st, 2023 – 3:05 pm CDT -  Twins RHP Bailey Ober (4-4, 2.97 ERA) takes the mid-afternoon stage against Orioles RHP Kyle Bradish (4-3, 3.75 ERA). The two pitchers look like clones with similar innings, strikeouts, and WHIP on paper. This looks like the rubber match that will determine the series on paper. The fallout from Friday night's game lingers into this game and will play a role in the potential for victory.

Game 3 - Sunday, July 2nd, 2023 – 11:05 am CDT - This is the game in the series that the Twins need to win. Arguments can be made that taking one out of three in this series is just fine. But getting swept could be catastrophic.

The Twins send RHP Sonny Gray (4-2, 2.67 ERA) out to bring home the victory. Win the series, and he's one of the main reasons the Twins still have hopes of claiming the division. Lose this game, and it might be one of Gray's last games to pitch with the squad as the trade deadline looms.

Orioles LHP Cole Irvin (1-3, 7.18 ERA) attempts to play the role of spoiler on Sunday. As a left-handed pitcher, we can automatically toss his statistics against other teams.

Prediction Time!
The wheels are falling off the Twins bandwagon. Will any be left for the team to return to Target Field before the All-Star Break? Will MLB postpone the games, or will the players play in an empty stadium? Will the haze lift to find the Twins have emerged stronger and more together, having walked through the fire together, or has the window closed and the oxygen run out on the current roster and staff? Leave your thoughts in the comments.