Week in Review: Winning Ugly in Oakland

Weekly Snapshot: Mon, 7/10 through Sun, 7/16
***
Record Last Week: 3-0 (Overall: 48-46)
Run Differential Last Week: +5 (Overall: +32)
Standing: 1st Place in AL Central (2.5 GA)

Last Week's Game Results:

Game 92 | MIN 5, OAK 4: Ugly Win Salvaged on Late Gallo HR
Game 93 | MIN 10, OAK 7: López Struggles But Bats Answer Call
Game 94 | MIN 5, OAK 4: Bullpen, Kirilloff Come Up Big

NEWS & NOTES

Upon returning to the Twins in early July, when he took over for an injured Royce Lewis at third base, José Miranda looked much the same as he did before his demotion. His time in Triple-A, where he posted a .686 OPS, wasn't any different. Miranda had a monster spring offensively, but has never looked right since.

Maybe now we have some explanation. On Saturday, Miranda was placed on the IL with an injury to the same right shoulder that bothered him throughout spring training. Evidently, the issue never quite went away. 

He insisted back then his shoulder wasn't affecting his swing – and his Grapefruit numbers backed that up – but that might have changed over time. Notably, Miranda has not been able to muster any power this year, after piling up 40 extra-base hits as a rookie. 

The lack of any impact from Miranda is among the biggest factors in Minnesota's offensive downfall this year. He's slated to receive a PRP injection and re-evaluate in a week, but it feels tough to expect much from the 25-year-old in what's looking like a lost year.

The question now is whether a jolt from Matt Wallner, perhaps similar to the one Miranda provided last year, could help fill that void. 

Wallner joins the roster in Miranda's stead, and he'll try to find regular playing time amidst a left-handed corner glut on the roster. Meanwhile, the Twins will try to figure it out at third base with Kyle Farmer and Willi Castro.

Help is on the way for the infield. Jorge Polanco embarked on a rehab assignment at Triple-A on Sunday. He played DH for the Saints and went 2-for-3 with a double. 

In the same game at CHS Field, Dallas Keuchel allowed one earned run over six innings, leaving his ERA at 0.90 through five starts. Don't be surprised to see Keuchel join the Twins rotation sometime this week, with seven games in seven days ahead.

HIGHLIGHTS

The aftermath of Minnesota's players-only meeting, which saw the offense quickly revert right back to its familiar level of lifelessness, was a ringing endorsement for the idea that talk is empty. However, it has been nice to see at least a couple of players put their money where their mouths are.

Carlos Correa, most critically, is leading that pack. His move to the leadoff spot coincided with the meeting, and Correa's been filling the role brilliantly, with a .423 on-base percentage and noticeable improvement in at-bat quality since. The Oakland series saw him go 5-for-12 with a pair of doubles. Correa drove in two on Saturday night, delivering a trend-bucking clutch knock with the bases juiced.

It's easy to forget now that, before the unlikely signing of Correa, Farmer was lined up to be the Twins' shortstop. He's played a large role here anyway, and while expectations are far smaller than Correa's, the former Red has been a disappointment by his own measure. Farmer described his first half to Dan Hayes of The Athletic as "horse manure."

In Oakland, Farmer looked like a guy ready to flush that first half. (Careful about that though.) He tripled and walked as cleanup hitter on Friday, then delivered a signature performance on Saturday with three hits and three RBIs in a 10-7 win. He lifted his OPS by 55 points in a two-game span.

Backing up a solid overall showing from the offense, the bullpen came up huge in Oakland. Embattled right-hander Emilio Pagán played a pivotal role by getting nine outs over two scoreless appearances. Jhoan Duran emphatically responded to his All-Star snub by picking up saves in three straight games – though that doesn't necessarily bode well for his availability in Seattle.

LOWLIGHTS

While Correa continues his turnaround and Polanco works his way back, Byron Buxton shows no signs of shaking off his immense struggles. He is lost at sea, timidly tip-toeing his way through every at-bat, hoping desperately to guess right on a mistake. Friday's game saw Buxton strike out looking at three straight fastballs with the bases loaded.

It says a lot that Buxton managing to grind out a bases-loaded walk on Saturday night against a no-name reliever fresh out of Triple-A (where he averaged 4.0 BB/9) was treated as a chest-thumping moment of redemption. Buxton otherwise went 0-for-12 with seven strikeouts in the series, despite many of those ABs coming against very ordinary left-handed pitchers.

Yeah, he's had some bad luck on hard-hit balls. But Buxton inspires no confidence, no hint of lurking greatness. That's been the case for weeks. He's now a one-dimensional player within a one-dimensional player – a bat-only option with middling discipline, who exclusively looks to turn on the ball and launch it. Pitchers are casually working around him and he's visibly helpless against it.

To a point, the Twins' enduring faith in Buxton is a practical necessity. He just signed a $100 million contract and they can't just plop him on the bench. Also, their recognition of his innate talent is valid. We know what can happen when it clicks for Buck. We know how fast the switch can flip.

Unfortunately, that fleeting hope needs to be balanced against the harshness of undeniable reality. Buxton hasn't been streaky, he's just been bad. His momentary outbursts of offense – a few mile-long home runs bunched together in a brief span – are surrounded by oceans of unproductive PAs at the heart of the lineup. It's not a tenable situation.

Continuing to shrug their shoulders while Buxton tanks their lineup as everyday No. 3 hitter is a prime example of this team's frustrating "all talk, no action" routine. You can't continue to say something's got to change, change nothing, and then act flabbergasted when nothing changes. [Insert falsely attributed Albert Einstein quote about insanity.]

I'm not claiming to know what the answer is but it needs to start with disrupting the status quo. Move Buxton down in the lineup. Sit him against righties a few times a week. Consider a long-term injured list stint, because it's impossible to believe Buxton is at a remotely adequate level physically with this downright abysmal play.

The Twins can't continue to live with a dreadful offense for which Buxton is setting the tone. Polanco's impending return creates a pressure point of sorts, because as things stand, they're going to have to choose between losing Edouard Julien's essential bat ... or opening up the DH spot for him. 

The urgency for more offense was underscored by a very discouraging weekend from the rotation. Kenta Maeda and Joe Ryan were underwhelming against the worst lineup in the majors. Pablo López was flat-out terrible, following up the best start of his career with an absolute clunker in which he gave up seven earned runs against the freaking A's. No one on this team can seem to sustain and harness a good vibe – even the All-Stars.

TRENDING STORYLINE

Wallner is back on the roster, but now finds himself stuck in a bit of a playing-time crunch, with Max Kepler and Joey Gallo both still around. Wallner didn't start on Saturday or Sunday after being recalled, though the Twins faced left-handed starters in both games.

He should be in line to start most days against righties, though he would need to do so at the expense of Kepler, because both only play right field. (To this point, anyway.) That shouldn't be a hard decision, but ... it would represent a change of tune for the Twins, who've been standing by Kepler through thick and thin. Their faith has paid off to an extent – he's been legitimately solid for a month or so.

Are they now going to start sitting him three or four times a week in favor for Wallner? Seems kind of hard to imagine, based on all we know. But they didn't call up Wallner to sit on the bench,. It will to be extremely interesting to see how the starts are divvied with all right-handers on the slate next week. 

Worth noting: Kepler's best bet to keep himself in the lineup almost everyday would be to change his tune on playing center. But there are no indications that's in the cards.

LOOKING AHEAD

The Twins continue their West Coast road trip with more late-night games from Seattle. The Mariners aren't great, but if the Twins bring the same quality of play as they put forth in Oakland, they're gonna get clobbered. 

Pitching match-ups for next weekend are tentative. As mentioned earlier, it wouldn't be a shock to see Keuchel step in to make a start against the White Sox. 

MONDAY, 7/17: TWINS @ MARINERS – RHP Sonny Gray v. RHP Logan Gilbert
TUESDAY, 7/18: TWINS @ MARINERS – RHP Bailey Ober v. RHP Bryan Woo
WEDNESDAY, 7/19: TWINS @ MARINERS – RHP Kenta Maeda v. RHP Luis Castillo
THURSDAY, 7/20: TWINS @ MARINERS – RHP Pablo Lopez v. RHP George Kirby
FRIDAY, 7/21: WHITE SOX @ TWINS – RHP Lance Lynn v. RHP Joe Ryan
SATURDAY, 7/22: WHITE SOX @ TWINS – RHP Dylan Cease v. RHP Sonny Gray
SUNDAY, 7/23: WHITE SOX @ TWINS – RHP Lucas Giolito v. RHP Bailey Ober