Andrew Gebo

On a night in which the Minnesota Twins honored closer Joe Nathan by inducting him into the Twins Hall of Fame there was no closer needed. Thanks in large part to a bombing barrage courtesy of the Minnesota offense.Box Score Kyle Gibson: 6.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 61% strikes (67 of 110 pitches) Bullpen: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K Home Runs: Nelson Cruz 3 (30), Jorge Polanco (17), C.J. Cron (19) Multi-Hit Games: Nelson Cruz 3-for-4, C.J. Cron 3-for-4, Luis Arraez 2-for-4 Top 3 WPA: Polanco .229, Cruz .221, Cron .113 Bombs Away The Bomba Squad was in full force tonight and Royals pitcher Danny Duffy experienced the full force of it. Before he had recorded six outs, Duffy had surrendered four home runs and seven earned runs. Nelson Cruz got the party started and C.J. Cron joined the party in his first at-bat after returning from the IL. Jorge Polanco also got into the action when he blasted a two-run home run in the second inning. The rout was in full effect early and the Twins never looked back. Aged Like Fine Wine Not many things age well. Among those those that do are fine wine and Nelson Cruz. Being skeptical of the Twins signing a 38-year-old DH in the offseason would have been completely rational. In no other world besides professional sports is 38 considered old, but Nelson Cruz seems to have discovered the fountain of youth in Minnesota. Since July 24, Nelson Cruz has hit .500/.581/1.308 including two three-home run games. All coming after his 39th birthday. With a BABIP of .538 it’s unlikely he continues on this pace for an extended period of time but it sure is fun to watch. Quality Start for Gibson Kyle Gibson had a clean 1-2-3 first inning but ran into some trouble in the second inning. Kansas City slugger Jorge Soler led off the inning with a solo home run. A throwing error from Jonathan Schoop allowed a runner to reach base and he later scored, tying the game at 2-2. After the second inning, Gibby was on cruise control until he ran into trouble in the seventh. He left the game with the bases loaded and two outs. Thankfully Ryne Harper was able to wiggle out of the jam and preserve the 11-3 lead. Postgame With Baldelli Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet Click here for a review of the number of pitches thrown by each member of the bullpen over the past five days. Click here to view the article

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By now most of you have seen Sergio Romo pitch and gotten a sense of his energetic and infectious personality. Many of you have also likely already grown very fond of him. For those of you that haven’t, I hope this article changes your mind.Before we get started on this journey together, I think it’s important to tell you a little about myself. I am originally from San Francisco. I was a senior in high school when Sergio Romo won his first World Series ring. I was a sophomore in college when he recorded the final out of his second World Series and by the time he won his third World Series I was already a jaded old man working a corporate job. I was fortunate enough to watch Sergio Romo evolve from a mid-relief pitcher to an All-Star closer and three-time World Series champion. I was there for every step along the way. I can still hear his entry music blaring through the AT&T Park speakers. There was also that one time in San Diego when he tossed me a baseball. So yeah, I love the guy and I hope after reading this you will too. Now let’s begin that journey. This will not be a statistical breakdown of Sergio Romo the pitcher. I covered that here. Instead this article will focus on Sergio Romo, the person. My goal is for you to get to know Romo a little better while also taking a walk with me down memory lane, and reliving some of the best moments of his career. Fear The Beard Our journey begins in 2010. At this time, Sergio Romo was a relative unknown. He was a 28th-round draft pick in 2005 and entering the 2010 season, he was a 27 year-old with less than 70 big league innings under his belt. There was one distinguishable trait about him, however. And that was his beard. He and fellow bullpen teammate, Brian Wilson became a feared and bearded bullpen duo. They would later embrace the rally cry of “Fear The Beard”. There were shirts made for this. You couldn’t walk anywhere in San Francisco without a street vendor selling you a Fear The Beard T-shirt. Concession stands in AT&T Park were selling beards. For Halloween that year I dyed my beard black and wore a Giants jersey. It was a trend and it all started with Sergio Romo — the 27-year-old 28th-round draft pick. Sergio Romo vs. Jay Bruce The next stop on our journey takes us to Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, Ohio on October 11, 2012. This was game five in a best of five NLDS between the Reds and Giants. It was the bottom of the ninth, with one out and two on. The Giants were hanging on to a two-run lead and in stepped Jay Bruce to face Sergio Romo. The season was hanging in the balance for both teams. Just a few years prior, Romo was labeled as a righty specialist who rarely ever faced left-handed hitters. Yet there he was, season on the line and going after a premier left-handed hitter. Romo and Bruce would eventually be locked into an epic 12-pitch battle. Just like you would expect from any epic postseason pitcher-batter duel the count ended up full. Finally, on the twelve pitch of the at-bat, Romo got Bruce to fly out to left field. He then struck out the next batter on seven pitches and sent the Giants to the NLCS. Watch this epic battle here: Sergio Romo vs Miguel Cabrera We don’t have to travel very far to reach the next destination on our journey. This one takes place at Comerica Park in Detroit on October 28, 2012. It was the bottom of the ninth in game four of the World Series. Sergio Romo was on the mound to close out the World Series and the last man standing in his way was none other than the future Hall of Farmer, 2012 Triple Crown winner and MVP, Miguel Cabrera. No moment was too big for Sergio Romo. He went right after Miggy and struck him out looking on an 89 mph fastball right down the middle. I Just Look Illegal We have arrived at the last stop on this part of our journey. We have landed in San Francisco on October 31, 2012. What’s the occasion? It's their World Series parade and Sergio wore what was considered a controversial shirt inscribed with the worlds “I Just Look Illegal”. Earlier that year, Romo was detained at an airport for no explainable reason. Throughout his career he had also been asked numerous times what country he’s from. So, he decided to use a tongue in cheek slogan on a shirt as a way of letting people know that he is in fact, an American, who only looks illegal. Also, it was pretty funny. Next we will get to know more about the lighter side of Sergio Romo. Romobombing Throughout his tenure with the Giants, Romo was notorious for video-bombing the dugout reporter during in-game reports. The bullpen mounds in San Francisco are in foul territory and this allows relief pitchers to be in the dugout during the game. Any time the cameras were rolling near the dugout Sergio could be seen in the background putting on a comedy show. His acts even earned their own hashtag. #romobombing Mi Amor Most athletes don’t make the best actors. I suppose the phrase “stick to sports” could apply to athletes trying their hand at acting. Romo certainly won’t be winning an Oscar any time soon but he has appeared in a handful of hilarious promotional ads. Here is my favorite: Thank you for taking this journey this with me. I hope you enjoyed reliving these memories as much as I did. Now it’s time for new memories and hopefully Sergio Romo wins his fourth World Series as a member of the Minnesota Twins. If so, who knows what kind of gimmick he will have in store for us during the parade through downtown Minneapolis. Click here to view the article

Minnesota was going for the statement series sweep against Cleveland in its first regular season action after the All-Star break. They had their hands full, however, going against Shane Bieber and ultimately fell short of completing the sweep, losing 4-3.Box Score Berrios: 5 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 6 K, 65% strikes (60 of 92 pitches) Bullpen: 3 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 3 K Home Runs: None Multi-Hit Games: Marwin Gonzalez (3-for-4) Top 3 WPA: Arraez .142, Gonzalez .126, Adrianza .115 Bottom 3 WPA: Polanco -.317, Schoop -.285, Cruz -.150 Poor Command Bites Berrios Twins ace,Jose Berrios entered today’s action seeking an elusive ninth win of the season. He struggled with his command early on, surrendering two walks in the first inning and Jose Rameriz made him play by driving in one of the runners with a two out knock. In the fourth inning, Berrios gave up a double and two singles allowing Cleveland to add two more runs to their lead and push the score to 3-0. A high pitch count would eventually end his afternoon after only five innings. Minnesota Rallies in the Seventh It wasn’t exactly how you draw it up and the Twins missed an opportunity to score even more but on a day where runs were at a premium at least they finally cracked into the run column It took Garver and Cave each getting hit by a pitch and singles from Marwin Gonzalez, Miguel Sano and Max Kepler for Minnesota to tie the game. They were very well positioned to do even more damage with the bases loaded and only one out with Polanco and Cruz due up. Unfortunately, both Polanco and Cruz would strike out to end the inning leaving the bases loaded. Coming Up Short In the Late Innings After the Twins rallied to tie the game in the seventh inning, Trevor May handed Cleveland the lead again when he surrendered a solo home run to Carlos Santana in an 0-2 count. The eighth inning got off to a good start for Minnesota when Luis Arraez reached base via a lead-off double but they were unable to drive him in and the scored remained 4-3. Postgame With Baldelli Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet Click here for a review of the number of pitches thrown by each member of the bullpen over the past five days. Click here to view the article

Watching afternoon baseball on the Fourth of July is always a treat and today the Minnesota Twins and Oakland Athletics treated us to a good game. Jose Berrios was hit or miss for most of the afternoon with a handful of good innings as well as a few rough innings. He pitched well overall but the offense came up just short.Box Score Berrios: 5 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 58.7% strikes (54 of 92 pitches) Bullpen: 3 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 4 K Home Runs: None Multi-Hit Games: Nelson Cruz (3-for-5, 2B), Ehire Adrianza (2-for-3), Jonathan Schoop (2-for-4) Top 3 WPA: Adrianza .192, Cruz .070, Littell .046 Bottom 3 WPA: Berrios -.173, Polanco -.173, Morin -.124 Berrios Not Sharp, But Effective The expectations are so high for Berrios that it’s easy to expect complete dominance every time he takes the mound but that won’t always be the case. What sets him apart and makes him an ace, however, is his ability to still pitch effectively when he doesn’t have his best stuff. Today was one of those days for Jose. He issued more walks than strikeouts recorded and scattered six hits over five innings while allowing three earned runs. A high pitch count ended his afternoon early but when his day was over the Twins were still in a position to win the game. Bats Remain Quiet The red-hot Minnesota offense we enjoyed for the first two months of the season was never going to be sustainable over a full season but seeing this team struggle at times to drive in runs is still taking some adjusting to. The best chance for the Twins to put a crooked number on the board came in the first inning. Ehire Adrianza was credited with an RBI after catcher’s interference was called with the bases loaded. The next batter, Jonathan Schoop hit a hard line drive into the left-center field gap but the stellar Oakland center fielder, Ramon Laureano tracked it down and put an end to the threat. Minnesota was able to add another run in the fifth inning when Adrianza once again collected an RBI. This time he singled into center field and Nelson Cruz was able to score from third. Oakland Breaks It Open Late The eighth inning didn’t get off to a great start for Minnesota and it ended even worse. Mike Morin would eventually load the bases with no outs. Marcus Semein then promptly unloaded on a pitch and blasted a grand-slam to left field giving the Athletics a 7-2 lead. Postgame With Baldelli Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet Click here for a review of the number of pitches thrown by each member of the bullpen over the past five days. Click here to view the article

The Minnesota Twins have gotten good but not great production from their no-name group of relievers in the bullpen so far this season. The general consensus in Twins Territory and around the league is that in order for Minnesota to take the next step and be legitimate championship contenders it is crucial that they add more quality pieces to their bullpen. The bullpen trade market is still taking shape but today we will discuss Raisel Iglesias of the Cincinnati Reds.Raisel Iglesias, RHP, 29 years-old Cincinnati Reds, NL Central (38-43) Under team control through 2020. 2019: 3.86 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 11.85 K/9, 4.13 BB/9 in 32 ⅔ IP 2018: 2.38 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 10.00 K/9, 3.13 BB/9 in 72 IP What’s To Like There isn’t much to dislike about a hard throwing reliever with a wipe-out slider and proven effectiveness in late inning, high leverage situations. Actually, it is exactly what Minnesota needs. Albeit it would be even better if he was left-handed but nonetheless Raisel Iglesias is a quality bullpen arm. From 2016-18 Iglesias was lights out while pitching in a tough and hitter-friendly division. Pitching against the Cubs, Cardinals and Brewers in places like Great American Ballpark, Wrigley Field and Miller Park is no easy task and Iglesias has handled it well. ERA+ is a park adjusted statistic with 100 being league average. From 2016-18, the Cuban born right-hander posted an ERA+ well above average in each season. Here is his ERA+ each year in chronological order: 169, 181, and 177. It’s important to remember that 100 is league average, meaning Iglesias was superb over that three year stretch. FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) is another great metric to look at when evaluating how a pitcher has performed. Essentially it is a measure of what a pitcher’s ERA would be based on the types of balls put in play against him. Over his career, Iglesias has posted a 3.50 FIP. His best year was 2017 in which he had a 2.70 FIP and the worst was 4.23 in 2018. Using the chart above you can see he has consistently been above average when it comes to FIP. For those that prefer conventional metrics like ERA he’s done well in that department too. Over the same three year period his ERA ranged from 2.38 in 2018 to 2.53 in 2016. Concerns 2019 has not been as favorable to Iglesias as his stretch from 2016-2018. While he’s maintained a solid FIP of 3.92, his ERA+ has dipped to 121. That's still above average, but much below his career high of 181 in 2017. Iglesias has also posted a 3.86 ERA which the highest it’s been since his rookie year in 2015. His K/9 is the highest of his career at 11.85 but his BB/9 is also the highest of his career at 4.13. Another area where he’s declined is WHIP. From 2016-2018 his WHIP hovered barely above 1.00. However, in 2019, his WHIP sits at 1.44. It’s not ideal for a late inning reliever to be allowing almost 1.5 base runners for every inning he pitches. Iglesias is still only 29-years-old and while he’s declined a bit this year he’s still an above average pitcher. Perhaps moving out of the hitter friendly NL Central and transitioning to the AL Central would allow him to regain his 2016-2018 dominance. If Minnesota does in fact acquire him they will certainly be hoping that’s the case. See Also Jake Diekman, LHP, Royals Ian Kennedy, RHP, Royals Sergio Romo, RHP, Marlins Shane Greene, RHP, Tigers Felipe Vázquez, LHP, Pirates Will Smith, LHP, Giants Liam Hendriks, RHP, Athletics Ty Buttrey, RHP, Angels Ken Giles, RHP, Blue Jays Sam Dyson, RHP, Giants Brad Hand, LHP, Indians Oliver Perez, LHP Cleveland Robert Stephenson, RHP, Reds John Gant, RHP, Cardinals Alex Colome, RHP, White Sox Seth Lugo, RHP, Mets Greg Holland, RHP, Diamondbacks Sean Doolittle, LHP, Nationals Kirby Yates, RHP, Padres 10 Relievers Minnesota Could Target Click here to view the article

Barring some sort of catastrophic second-half meltdown, the Minnesota Twins are headed for postseason baseball when the calendar flips to October. It’s certainly been a while since the Twins have enjoyed a lengthy postseason run. Prior to the surprise Wild Card berth in 2017, the last time Minnesota made the playoffs was 2010. Why am I reminding you of that? Because it’s a key reason why this team lacks players with significant postseason experience. Today we will talk about a reliever who has plenty of postseason experience and three rings to show for it, Sergio Romo.Sergio Romo, 36 years old, RHP Miami Marlins (NL East, 30-49) Free Agent Following 2019 Season 2018: 4.14 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 10.02 K/9, 2.67 BB/9 in 67.1 IP 2019: 4.76 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 7.31 K/9, 4.13 BB/9 in 28.1 IP What’s To Like If you are keen on evaluating potential trade targets like securities investments then perhaps the phrase “past performance is not indicative of future results” applies to Sergio Romo, but we’ll dive into the concerns later. For now, we’re going to focus on the good things. Sergio Romo belongs to a very exclusive club - he is one of five active players with three or more World Series rings. Three of the other four were his teammates for those three championships. Romo wasn’t just a bystander for those three title runs either. He was a key contributor in what became known as the “core four” in San Francisco, referring their core four relievers during their dynasty years. Throughout his career, Romo has tallied 23 ⅓ postseason IP with a 3.09 ERA and 0.900 WHIP. The highlight of his postseason success was striking out Miguel Cabrera to end the 2012 World Series. Enough living in the past. This is 2019, not 2010-16. Concerns Unless you’re totally sold on a 36-year-old reliever who’s a previous All-Star and three-time World Champion then there’s a lot to be concerned about with Sergio Romo. He simply has not been very good for a few years now and that’s the most diplomatic way I can phrase that. His best days are certainly behind him, which one could reasonably expect from a 36 year old. This season has not been all that kind to Romo either. His numbers with the Marlins aren’t the type of numbers that jump off the page and get you excited. So far in 2019 his strikeout rate is the lowest of his career and his walk rate is the highest of his career. With a 4.76 ERA and 1.34 WHIP in just under 30 innings, it would be difficult to imagine the Marlins will receive much interest in Romo at the deadline. If the Twins do call, however, I suppose the one thing we can hang our hat on is that Sergio Romo has more postseason innings pitched than the entire Minnesota Twins pitching staff. See Also Shane Greene, RHP, Tigers Felipe Vázquez, LHP, Pirates Will Smith, LHP, Giants Liam Hendriks, RHP, Athletics Ty Buttrey, RHP, Angels Ken Giles, RHP, Blue Jays Sam Dyson, RHP, Giants Brad Hand, LHP, Indians Oliver Perez, LHP Cleveland Robert Stephenson, RHP, Reds John Gant, RHP, Cardinals Alex Colome, RHP, White Sox Seth Lugo, RHP, Mets Greg Holland, RHP, Diamondbacks Sean Doolittle, LHP, Nationals Kirby Yates, RHP, Padres 10 Relievers Minnesota Could Target Click here to view the article

The Minnesota Twins currently only feature one left-handed reliever in their bullpen, Taylor Rogers, who has arguably been their most consistent and reliable option this season. Although Rogers has been excellent, Rocco Baldelli could certainly benefit from another left-handed option in the bullpen. Today we will discuss Will Smith, a left-handed reliever for the San Francisco Giants.Will Smith, LHP, 29-years-old San Francisco Giants (33-43, 5th in NL West) Free Agent following 2019 season. 2018: 2.55 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 12.06 K/9, 2.55 BB/9 in 53 IP 2019: 2.01 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, 13.50 K/9, 2.01 BB/9 in 31.1 IP What’s To Like There is a lot to like about Will Smith. He has been a very effective pitcher for the majority of his career and has taken his game to the next level over the past two seasons in San Francisco. It’s no secret that the Giants are not a very good team but when they have had opportunities to win, Will Smith has done an excellent job locking them down. He has converted all twenty of his save opportunities this year and his numbers get even more impressive than that. It is not uncommon for left-handed pitchers, relievers especially, to struggle against right-handed hitters. That has not been the case for Smith. His season splits are very favorable against left and right-handed hitters. In 2019 right-handed hitters have hit .152/.212/.278 compared to .172/.200/.276 for left-handed hitters when facing Will Smith. Oracle Park in San Francisco has forever been one of the most pitcher-friendly parks in the league. ESPN currently has Oracle Park ranked as the 24th best park for scoring runs. One might assume that Will Smith has benefited from pitching in such a pitcher-friendly ballpark, but his home/road splits are very favorable as well. In 13 ⅓ innings away from Oracle Park, Will Smith has held batters to a very pedestrian .070/.111/.233 while raking up 27 K and a minuscule 1.35 ERA. Concerns As discussed above, there is a whole lot to like about Will Smith, but that doesn’t mean he comes without any concerns. Smith missed all of 2017 rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and even though he has pitched well since returning to the mound, the surgery is still worth mentioning. The surgery is not the only concern either. He will become a free agent after this season so acquiring Smith will very likely be a rental acquisition, unless Minnesota is able to negotiate a longer term contract before the season ends. Another concern with Smith is not about his on-field body of work, but rather the price to acquire his talents. Highly effective left-handed relievers are a hot commodity at the trade deadline and with San Francisco in a rebuild, they will very likely be seeking a hefty exchange for Smith. The last concern with Smith is his second half stats from 2018. Overall on the season he pitched very well but he did struggle a bit in the second half. Over the second half of 2018, opposing hitters were a combined .231/.293/.363 compared to .160/.211/.210 in the first half. His ERA also ballooned to 4.18 in the second half compared to his 1.23 ERA in the first half. His 2018 second half struggles could be a reason to pause or possibly pass on Smith given the uncertainty of how he will perform in the second half of 2019. But what he’s done so far this season is nothing short of impressive and he is certainly a very legitimate trade target for the Minnesota Twins. See Also Liam Hendriks, RHP, Athletics Ty Buttrey, RHP, Angels Ken Giles, RHP, Blue Jays Sam Dyson, RHP, Giants Brad Hand, LHP, Indians Oliver Perez, LHP Cleveland Robert Stephenson, RHP, Reds John Gant, RHP, Cardinals Alex Colome, RHP, White Sox Seth Lugo, RHP, Mets Greg Holland, RHP, Diamondbacks Sean Doolittle, LHP, Nationals Kirby Yates, RHP, Padres 10 Relievers Minnesota Could Target Click here to view the article

On a day in which both teams paid homage to the Negro Leagues by wearing throwback Negro League uniforms, one bad inning sunk Michael Pineda and the Minnesota Twins. They lost in Kansas City, splitting the four-game series, primarily due to a five-run third inning for the Royals.Box Score Starter: 5 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 69.6% strikes (64 of 92 pitches) Bullpen: 3 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K Home Runs: Eddie Rosario (20) Multi-Hit Games: Luis Arraez (4-for-4, 2B), Max Kepler (2-for-5, 2B), Jorge Polanco (2-for-5) WPA of +0.1: None WPA of -0.1: Pineda -.231 Download attachment: Win623.png (chart via FanGraphs) Crooked Number Cooks Pineda Michael Pineda has pitched well over his last seven starts, dating back to May 11. Over that time he has gone 2-0 3.67 ERA 0.91 WHIP. Of those previous seven starts, five were quality starts. Overall, very solid production from the back end of your rotation. Pineda did not necessarily pitch badly but he had one bad inning that hurt him. That rough inning came in the third, in which he gave up five earned runs, including one three-run home run to Hunter Dozier. Prior to giving up the home run, Pineda surrendered three singles to the Royals Nos. 9, 1 and 2 hitters and then a double to Alex Gordon. After allowing the home run, Big Mike settled in and threw two more scoreless innings, keeping the team in the game. Stay Hot, Luis Arraez This kid continues to flat-out hit. His bat-to-ball skills and knowledge of the strike zone are fun to watch. Luis added four more hits today and improved his season slash line to .436/.521/.590, relatively small sample size but impressive nonetheless. Rosario Goes Deep but Offense Falls Short Eddie Rosario registered his 20th bomba of the season when he launched a solo home run to right field in the fourth inning. Minnesota did not have many scoring chances throughout the game but they wasted a good once in the seventh innings when Rosario was unable to deliver with the bases loaded and two outs. Postgame With Baldelli Bullpen Usage Here’s a quick look at the number of pitches thrown by the bullpen over the past five days: Download attachment: Pen623.png Click here to view the article

Minnesota looked to once again avoid a three game losing streak and turned to Martin Perez to be the stopper. Perez struggled early, settled in for a bit before falling apart again in the fifth but a late rally gave Minnesota the win and kept their longest losing streak of the season to only two games.Box Score Perez: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 60.8% strikes (48 of 79 pitches) Bullpen: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K Home Runs: Cron (16), Sano (8) Multi-Hit Games: Rosario (3-for-5), Kepler (2-for-5), Polanco (2-for-5), Schoop (2-for-4) WPA of +0.1: Rogers .451, Rosario .321, Kepler .205, Schoop .101 WPA of -0.1: Perez -.411 Download attachment: Win621.png (chart via FanGraphs) Not Exactly How You Draw It Up Minnesota was trailing 3-1 when the fifth inning began. Their lone run came courtesy of a solo home run from C.J. Cron to lead off the second inning. Jonathan Schoop lead off the fifth inning and must have been listening to the FSN broadcast saying “just get on base”, because he did just that when he reached first on a slow roller to shortstop for an infield single. After two quick outs from Polanco and Kepler it looked like Minnesota was going to waste another leadoff base runner. Nelson Cruz and Eddie Rosario had other ideas, however. Cruz drew a walk and set the table for Eddie Rosario with runners on first and second and two outs. Rosie responded by ripping a line drive single to right field, scoring Schoop. Eddie then stole second base and a poor throw from the Kansas City catcher allowed Cruz to scamper home from third and tie the game at 3-3. Martin Perez (Almost) Settles In The first inning of the game was a weird one for Martin Perez and the Minnesota Twins. In the top half of the inning, Minnesota repeatedly squared up the ball but didn’t have anything to show for it. The bottom half of the inning was equally frustrating. Martin Perez issued two walks, Jorge Polanco committed an error and a couple of weakly hit singles allowed Kansas City to score three runs. After the first inning, Marin Perez settled in and pitched very well. He retired eight consecutive batters before Terrence Gore reached on a bunt single in the fourth inning. Perez quickly rebounded and induced a weak fly ball from Billy Hamilton to end the inning. The bottom half of the fifth inning was a rough one for Perez. After issuing a lead off walk and hitting the next batter it looked like he was on the verge of wiggling out of the jam. He recorded his first two strikeouts of the night and he needed to retire Cheslor Cuthbert to end the inning. Unfortunately he threw a cutter that didn’t cut and Cuthbert made him pay, launching a three-run blast to left field and giving Kansas City a 6-3 lead. Better Late Than Never The powerful and potent Minnesota offense we have enjoyed for much of the season appeared to have been missing in their last few games. In the later innings of tonight’s game, the bats woke up — thank you, Jobu. Max Kepler and Jorge Polanco led off the seventh inning with soft line drives to center field. A wild pitch advanced both runners, bringing Nelson Cruz up with runners on second and third and nobody out. Cruz quickly found himself in an 0-2 hole but battled back to a full count and laced a hard-hit ground ball down the first base line, scoring both runners and cutting the Kansas City lead to only one run. The eighth inning was also another strong offensive inning for Minnesota. Sano got the inning started with a home run (see next paragraph), but the Twins did not stop there. Mitch Garver was used as a pinch-hitter for Jake Cave to face the left-handed pitcher, Jake Diekman. Mitch drew a walk and Astudillo was brought in to pinch-run, which is as funny as it sounds. Schoop reached with a single and Max Kepler followed up with a single of his own, scoring Astudillo and giving Minnesota the lead. After two botched contact plays the inning looked to be in jeopardy with two outs. That was until Eddie Rosario came through with the clutch RBI single and extended the lead to 8-6. Miguel Sano Continues to Struggle (Sorta) Miguel Sano has always been strikeout prone, that’s nothing new. When he first arrived back in the big leagues this year he was striking out but still hitting the ball with authority. Lately it’s been a whole lot of striking out and nothing else - 14 strikeouts in 23 at-bats Tonight’s game was no different for Sano. He picked up another hat-trick by striking out in his first three at-bats. One of which came in a key run-scoring opportunity in the second inning. All of that would change for Sano in the eighth inning. After falling behind, he was able to work the count full and hit an absolute rocket to right center. A solo home run to tie the game at 6-6. He would strike out again, for the fourth time, in his final at-bat. Overall, Sano was 1-5 with four Ks and a home run. Taylor Rogers Slams The Door Ryne Harper was brought in to pitch the eighth but was quickly pulled after giving up a home run and a single without recording an out. Taylor Rogers was called upon to record a six-out save. Rogers wasted no time, retiring the next three batters in order and ending the Kansas City rally in the eighth inning. The ninth inning was another stellar one for Rogers. An error by Austidillo in right field put a runner on with only one out but Rogers caught a line drive off the bat of Nicky Lopez and quickly doubled off Merrifield to end the game and earn the save. Postgame With Baldelli Bullpen Usage Here’s a quick look at the number of pitches thrown by the bullpen over the past five days: Download attachment: Pen621.png Click here to view the article

The Twins left 15 men on base, were 4-for-18 with men in scoring position and committed a pair of errors in the field that led to four unearned runs. Still, despite all their struggles, they managed to make a game of this afternoon’s contest with KC.Box Score Perez: 6.2 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 68.6% strikes (72 of 105 pitches) Bullpen: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K Home Runs: Sano (7), Cruz (13) Multi-hit games: Kepler (4-for-6, 2 2B), Schoop (3-for-5), Cruz (2-for-5, 2B, HR, BB), Rosario (2-for-5), Sano (2-for-4, HR, BB) WPA of +0.1: Kepler .181 WPA of -0.1: Adrianza -.118, Castro -.144, Perez -.133, Morin -.181, Garver -.181 Download attachment: win616.png (chart via FanGraphs) Playing in front of a sold out crowd on a sun-kissed afternoon at Target Field, the Minnesota Twins were seeking a series sweep of the Kansas City Royals and a Father’s Day victory. Martin Perez Trying to Find it Again Through his first seven starts of the season, Martin Perez -- a recent father himself -- was nothing short of dominant. He was enjoying one of the best career resurgences we have seen in a long time. His last four starts, however, have been a different story. Five of his first seven starts were quality starts and he was 5-1 with a 2.01 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 41 Ks over 44 2/3 IP. Zero of his previous four starts have been quality starts and over that stretch he has gone 1-1 with a 7.27 ERA, 2.02 WHIP and 11 BB over 17 1/3 IP. Besides a rough second inning in which he surrendered three runs on four hits, Martin Perez appeared to have regained his early season success. Perez retired the Royals in order in five of his 6 2/3 innings pitched. Also, following the second inning mishap, Perez retired 14 consecutive batters before giving up a single in the seventh inning. A wacky seventh inning ruined what should have been the sixth quality start of the year for Perez. With one out and a runner on first, Eddie Rosario had a hard line drive clank off his glove putting runners on the corners. A bunt by Billy Hamilton scored the Royals fourth run of the game. Then an error by Miguel Sano allowed the Royals to score their fifth run. Missed Opportunities Hurt Minnesota Twins Territory has become so accustomed to seeing this team hit home runs and put crooked numbers on the scoreboard that it’s easy to overlook missed opportunities on offense but those missed opportunities really hurt them today. In the bottom of the first, Minnesota had the bases loaded with two outs and were unable to score after Marwin Gonzalez grounded out to first base. Max Kepler led off the third inning with a double but three quick outs from Jorge Polanco, Nelson Cruz and Eddie Rosario left Kepler stranded at second. After scoring two runs in the fifth inning courtesy of a Miguel Sano solo home run and an RBI single from Kepler, Minnesota once again wasted a bases-loaded opportunity. Polanco was intentionally walked which loaded the bases for Cruz and he struck out to end the inning. Cruz added the third run of the game for Minnesota in the seventh inning when he launched a solo home run into the upper deck in right-center. Following the Cruz bomba, the bases were once again loaded, this time with only one out. Jonathan Schoop would strike out and Mitch Garver was then called upon to pinch-hit for Jason Castro against the Royals left-handed reliever, Jake Diekman. After quickly falling behind 0-2, Garver eventually hit a warning-track fly ball that was caught in right field and spoiled Minnesota’s third bases-loaded opportunity of the game. The old adage is the third is a charm but for Minnesota, on Father’s Day, the fourth time was the charm. In the eighth inning, they once again had the bases loaded, for the fourth time in the game. Only this time they were able to make the Royals pay. Cruz, who had homered in his previous plate appearance, wasted no time ripping a double to left field and driving in two runs on the second pitch of his at-bat. Rosario popped up for the first out of the inning but Minnesota still had two runners in scoring position and only one out for Sano but he quickly struck out, leaving it up to Gonzalez with two outs. Once again, Minnesota was unable to fully capitalize on their scoring opportunity when Marwin lifted a shallow fly ball to left field for the third out. Remarkably, even after all those missed opportunities, Minnesota still had a chance to win the game in the ninth inning with Cruz stepping up to the plate and representing the winning run. Unfortunately, the theme of missed opportunities once again reared its ugly head when Cruz struck out on a checked swing to end the game. The Twins offense was 1-for-8 (.125) with the bases loaded and 4-for-18 (.222) with runners in scoring position. They also stranded 15 runners. Kansas City Capitalizes On Their Opportunities For how bad Minnesota was at hitting with runners in scoring position, Kansas City was equally as good. They Royals were 5-for-15 (.333) with runners in scoring position and only seven runners left on base. The bottom third of the Kansas City lineup also proved to be troublesome for Minnesota pitchers. Their number 7, 8 and 9 hitters were a combined 5-for-11 (.454) with four runs batted in and four runs scored. Postgame With Baldelli Bullpen Usage Here’s a quick look at the number of pitches thrown by the bullpen over the past five days: Download attachment: Pen616.png Click here to view the article

The Twins reached 10 runs yet again on Thursday afternoon, and they ended up needing nearly every one of them. Despite holding a 10-1 lead entering the eighth inning, things ended up getting much too interesting, though the Twins still managed to win 10-5.Box Score Pineda: 5.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 65.6% strikes (63 of 96 pitches) Bullpen: 3.1 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 1 K Home Runs: Cruz (12), Cron (15) Multi-Hit Games: Adrianza (3-for-5), Cruz (3-for-4, HR, BB), Polanco (2-for-6), Gonzalez (2-for-5, 2B), Schoop (2-for-4, 2B) WPA of +0.1: Pineda .304, Cruz .223, Arianza .204, Kepler .150 WPA of -0.1: None Download attachment: Win613.png (chart via FanGraphs) Early Pitchers' Duel in Minnesota Today’s contest featured an early pitchers' duel, which is something we are not used to seeing from Minnesota this year. Pineda and Kikuchi were both sharp early on, limiting the scoring through the first five innings as Minnesota looked to improve to an 18-4 record following a loss. Early Wasted Opportunities The scoring opportunities were limited but the Twins wasted a good one in the second inning when they had the bases loaded with nobody out and couldn’t score a run. Through the first five innings Minnesota had stranded seven runners and were 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position. The lone run for Minnesota came courtesy of a solo home run from Nelson Cruz in the third inning. Small Ball Leads to a Big Sixth Inning The top half of the sixth inning was not a great one for Minnesota. After allowing two baserunners with two outs Pineda was pulled from the game and Ryne Harper was brought in to face Daniel Vogelbach. The need for another left-handed reliever in the Minnesota bullpen was never more apparent after Harper surrendered a base hit to Vogelbach which tied the game at 1-1. The bottom half of the inning, however, was a great one for Minnesota and featured something we haven’t seen much from this team. They scored six runs in the inning without hitting a home run or collecting an extra-base hit. Max Kepler led off the inning with a walk and Rocco Baldelli reached into his bag of tricks and called for a hit-and-run play with Ehire Adrianza at the plate. The hit-and-run was executed perfectly when Ehire singled through the right side of the infield advancing Kepler to third. A throwing error from the Seattle pitcher on a pick-off attempt allowed Kepler to score from third. A wild pitch advanced Adrianza to third and he scored on a Jason Castro ground ball to second with the infield drawn in. After Byron Buxton drew a walk, the Twins had runners on first and second and Jorge Polanco singled to center extending his hit streak to 14 games. The bases were loaded with nobody out. Unlike the second inning, Minnesota was able to capitalize on this opportunity. Nelson Cruz singled through the left side of the infield, scoring Castro and Buxton giving Minnesota a 5-1 lead. After a sacrifice fly from Marwin Gonzales and an RBI single from Max Kepler, Minnesota had a six-run bottom of the sixth and a 7-1 lead, breaking open what was once a pitchers duel. Bomba Squad Strikes Again After Minnesota broke the game open in the sixth they still weren’t done scoring. In the seventh inning Buxton walked, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI single from Polanco. Following the single from Polanco, Seattle turned to their bullpen and brought in Tyler Scott who received a rude welcome from C.J. Cron when he blasted a two-run home run on the second pitch of the at-bat. This game was cruising along and had the makings of a low-scoring pitchers duel but the potent Minnesota offense flipped the script in a hurry. When the fifth inning ended the score was 1-0. By the time the seventh inning was over Minnesota had jumped out to a 10-1 lead. Pineda Looks Sharp; Romero Struggles Pineda’s best start of the year came on May 16 in Seattle and he didn’t disappoint against his former team today either. Although he didn’t match his success from that May 16 start Pineda gave Minnesota a solid performance finishing with 5 2/3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 4 K. Fernando Romero, who was recalled from Triple-A prior the game, struggled mightily in his return to the big leagues. He surrendered two hits, two walks and two runs before being pulled from the game without recording an out. Matt Magill was called upon to clean up the mess created by Romero and he did just that. He walked the first batter he faced, loading the bases with no outs, but quickly rebounded to retire the side without allowing a run to score. Stay Hot, Ehire Adrianza Remember when Adrianza was hitting below the Mendoza line and all of Twins territory couldn’t wait for him to be shown the door? Well, since May 13 he’s hitting .439/.510/.634. Postgame With Baldelli Bullpen Usage Here’s a quick look at the number of pitches thrown by the bullpen over the past five days: Download attachment: Pen613.png Click here to view the article