Doubleheader Recap: Cruz Hits 2 Home Runs, Twins Split With Royals

[Thiéres Rabelo]

Nelson Cruz had a big day at the plate, hitting a pair of home runs to go with a double, as the Twins split a doubleheader with the Royals today. José Berríos gave up four runs over four innings pitched in the second game, seeing his ERA jump to 5.92.Game 1: Twins 4, Royals 2

Box Score

Odorizzi: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K

Home Runs: Cruz (5)

Top 3 WPA: Cruz .218, Duffey .100, Rogers/Romo .083

Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs):

Download attachment: Winchart1.png

Jake Odorizzi looked much better in his first start since the shaky one in Kansas City a week ago. Back in Missouri last Saturday, making his season debut after starting it on the IL, Odorizzi needed more than 70 pitches to complete three innings. He struggled with his command a little bit and allowed two earned runs on four hits, to go with two walks and two strikeouts. But today, with the same amount of work, he completely dominated the Royals lineup and went on to pitch into the fifth.

 

With only 40 pitches, Odorizzi threw three perfect innings, while fanning five. Overall, he ended up retiring all the first eleven batters he faced. Right then, in the bottom half of the third, Jorge Polanco doubled against lefty reliever Gabe Speier, as the Royals were having a bullpen day. They didn’t want Speier facing Nelson Cruz, so they brought in rightie Tyler Zuber with two outs. Cruz hammered a mammoth 448-feet home run to back up Odorizzi’s great performance.

 

 

After going 0-for-15 in his previous five home games, Luis Arráez snapped out of his funk with a single in the bottom of the fourth, sending Miguel Sanó to third. Later on Arráez would get his second hit of the day, making it his first multi-hit game at home since 9/21. Byron Buxton then flied out to left, but it was deep enough to score the big man, giving the Twins a three-run lead.

 

 

Maikel Franco ended Odorizzi’s afternoon with a two-run home run in the fifth. The third baseman has now homered in back-to-back games against Minnesota. The bomb came after Ryan McBroom hit a leadoff double and Odorizzi had gotten ahead in the count against Franco at 0-2. Nonetheless, it was a very encouraging performance from the Twins rightie.

 

Bats kept clicking as Minnesota responded right back in the bottom half of the inning. Cruz nearly homered again on a liner towards Alex Gordon, who managed to rob him of the dinger, but couldn’t hold on to the ball, allowing Nelly to reach second. Eddie Rosario stepped up and swung on the second pitch he saw, hitting a fly ball to deep right field, reaching second and scoring Cruz, giving the game its final numbers.

 

Taking over for Odorizzi in the fifth with no outs, Tyler Duffey started out an amazing outing from the Twins bullpen. Duffey and Sergio Romo combined for two perfect innings with only 22 pitches. Romo pitched his 700th and 701st career strikeouts in the sixth. Taylor Rogers allowed a couple of hits in the seventh, bringing the tying run to the plate twice, but he induced a double play and struck out Gordon to earn his fifth save in the season.

 

 

Game 2: Royals 4, Twins 2

Box Score

Berríos: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 7 K

Home Runs: Cruz (6)

Bottom 3 WPA: Berríos -.247, Buxton -.146 Sanó -.109

Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs):

Download attachment: Winchart2.png

 

Command wasn’t there for José Berríos, who threw just 12 of his 26 pitches in the first inning for strikes. He loaded the bases with two outs, after back-to-back walks., but worked out of the jam. This has contributed to an unsettling trend:

 

Facing Danny Duffy for the second time this season, the offense posed a threat early on. Mitch Garver reached on a fielding error, advanced to third on a wild pitch by Duffy, and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Marwin González.

 

Struggles continued for Berríos, as his command continued to elude him. He gave up three singles in the second, allowing the Royals to tie it up with a Whitt Merrifield RBI-single. A 1-2-3 third had everybody thinking he was finally back on track, but then a couple of walks came back to haunt him in the fourth when he gave up a two-out, three-run home run to the same Merrifield. It was the second time this season that Berríos failed to pitch more than four innings and the third time he gave up at least four earned runs, in five starts. His season ERA is now up to 5.92.

 

Nelly hit a leadoff home run in the bottom of the fourth, his second bomba of the day, and kept Minnesota very much in the game.

 

 

Jorge Alcala tossed a couple of scoreless innings in relief of Berríos and Zack Littell, coming back from the IL, pitched a great 1-2-3 in the seventh. Overall, Minnesota’s bullpen combined for six innings without allowing a run in the two games. However, the Royal bullpen did an equally good job, holding on to the lead in the final two innings and avoiding the double header sweep.

 

Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet

Download attachment: Bullpen.png

 

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[USAFChief]

You can put game two in Rocco's personal loss column.

 

No way Berrios should still have been in to give up that 3 run shot to Merrifield.

[Vanimal46]

Berrios is a liability this year. It’s disappointing to see the regression.

[mikelink45]

I am fascinated that TD had an article about whether Dobnak is feasting off bad teams.  The article should have been about Berrios and his inability to stop teams good or bad.  He is by far the most disappointing player in 2020.  

The second is Cave - he had a GRAND SLAM early and thus his is an excellent fourth OF. Give Kiriloff or Larnach a chance.  This is ridiculous. 

[D.C Twins]

The biggest problem with this team exposed:

 

Short playoff series will favor teams with an ACE (or two) on their staff.

 

We have a deep, balanced, and overall good team....

 

BUT unfortunately it will be at HIGH RISK during short playoff series against overall inferior teams with one or two better starting pitchers.

 

The FO has done an admirable job overall and obviously did not construct the team with this weird season in mind, but I strongly recommend that all Twins fans keep their expectations in check!

[D.C Twins]

 

 

You can put game two in Rocco's personal loss column.

No way Berrios should still have been in to give up that 3 run shot to Merrifield.

 

Yes, This! It was raining hits and walks in the first 3 innings....the runs were going to come eventually.... And we have 18-ish pitchers on our staff currently. Good Lord....sometimes a pitcher doesn't have it...that is when the manager has to find someone else!
 

[Dantes929]

He's never been my favorite pitcher but its a little early to write off Berrios.   Last year he was awesome for 4 months and then not so much.   If he is mediocre the first half this year and then finds it for the playoffs (presuming playoffs and the twins still in it) that would be a great result.   I never thought he was an ace but certainly he has had stretches where he pitched like one.  That happens in the playoffs also.  He has time to find it.

[Old Twins Cap]

Go get Rosenthal before someone we meet in the playoffs does.

 

Jesus Christ!  Nine pitches and the Twins are toast.  He's the white Aroldis Chapman.

 

Or something.

[jmlease1]

Berrios looked like poop. It was pretty painful to watch, his command was just awful again.

 

But here's the thing: his problem is his command, not his stuff. He's struggling to locate his fastball and his curve, he's not getting first-pitch strikes, and it's burying him in a hole every inning. But it's not like his velocity is off or his curveball isn't curving.

 

In a normal year, it would be easier to work through this, but every start is magnified now. It's hard to come up with a "sore arm/back" injury and there's nowhere really to send anyone for a rehab assignment (not sure Saint Paul camp really counts) where they can work out some of this. The stuff is still there, the track record is there, and it's really hard for me to believe that Berrios is suddenly trash. 

 

It's 5 starts. In a normal year we're in late April and there's plenty of time for him to work through something like this. It's clear to me that the ending of spring training, pause, then restart has messed up Berrios and he's struggling to get back into a program that works for him.

 

I think he's going to be fine...it's just that he doesn't have as many starts to work with to get there. He's still a great talent and an important part of this rotation. Time to Wes Johnson to really earn his money and figure out a way to help Berrios find that command again in

[rdehring]

Will join the chorus above commenting about Berrios having a disappointing start to this very short season. As for he and others not performing as expected, just don't know how much this screwed up start to spring/summer camp and the season is having.

 

Right now the starters are Berrios-Dobnak-Maeda-Odorizzi and X. Sounds like Hill will join that group this coming week, replacing Mr. X. With the lack of many off days, I fully expect the Twins to go to a six man starting rotation once Bailey and/or Pineda are available. 

 

Should the Twins be fortunate to make the playoffs, will be interesting to see who their four starters will be. As of today, it would be questionable if Berrios were included...although October is still six weeks away.

 

On a positive note, thought Alcala looked very good again yesterday. Have to be excited about what he could become for the the Twins bullpen for a long time. 

[mikelink45]

any thoughts that Berrios might be suffering from too much coaching?  Sometimes a player like Berrios can be trying too hard to correct minor flaws and then he loses the natural rhythm that is needed.  I see Berrios as a person who may try too hard.