Box Score
Starting Pitcher: Sands 4.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 4 SO
Homeruns: None
Bottom 3 WPA: Sands -.249, Miranda -.055, Gordon -.051
Bottom Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)
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On Tuesday night, the Twins were out to try and capitalize on a victory in the first game of the double-header against the Tigers. Here’s how they lined up in game two.
Cole Sands started for Minnesota as the 27th man for the double-header. In no secret that the roster is hurting. The rotation has been one of the hardest hit areas. Chris Paddack is out for the season, Josh Winder is on the IL. Joe Ryan on the COVID IL and Sonny Gray possibly heading on the IL on Wednesday has left the Twins almost impossibly short-handed. There is no amount of pitching depth that can overcome losing four of your top six starting pitchers.
The bullpen was relatively available after only Griffin Jax pitched to back up another outstanding Devin Smeltzer effort in game one. After the Tigers came out the gate hot (and lucky), this game almost felt like a throwaway for the Twins.
Cole Sands surrendered a two-run home run to Jonathan Schoop in the first inning on a slider down and in that Schoop hammered into the left-field seats. A Schoop single in the bottom of the second inning took a wicked hop, spinning past Jorge Polanco at second base and scoring two more to increase the Detroit lead to 4-0.
The Twins meanwhile, had very little to offer offensively, putting together a putrid series of at bats. Through four innings, Jermaine Palacios had the Twins lone hit, and left-handed starting pitcher Joey Wentz, who had struggled mightily coming into the game, had thrown just 51 pitches.
Sands recovered well in the third and fourth innings, holding the Tigers scoreless in back-to-back frames, Unlike Wentz however, he was inefficient, walking four and throwing 91 pitches (just 54 strikes) through four innings. It’s been obvious in his limited opportunities in the big leagues that Cole Sands could use more seasoning at AAA. The Twins injury crisis, both offensively and on the pitching staff, a crowded schedule, and players unable to travel to Canada to play Toronto in the coming days could not have coincided at a worse time for Minnesota.
Wentz, perhaps mercifully for the Twins, was pulled with an injury at the top of the fifth inning, being relieved by Wily Peralta. Walks issued to Trevor Larnach and Ryan Jeffers with one out gave the Twins their first legitimate threat of the game (in the fifth inning), but Jermaine Palacios grounded out to end the threat.
Juan Minaya gave the Twins two innings of scoreless, quality relief, striking out two. After a Trevor Larnach double (he continues to mash) was wasted by the Twins, Caleb Thielbar and Jovani Moran pitched a scoreless inning each, sending the game to the top of the ninth with the Twins still trailing 4-0. Michael Fulmer pitched a scoreless ninth inning for Detroit, capping what was arguably the Twins worst offensive showing of the season.
The Twins are entering an incredibly tricky stretch in their season. Tomorrow night, they face Tarik Skubal, who is second in MLB in fWAR (2.0). After finishing their series in Detroit on Thursday, they play three games in Toronto. Next they head home for six against the Yankees and Rays. All this without Carlos Correa, Royce Lewis, Gilberto Celestino, Joe Ryan, Josh Winder, (possibly) Sonny Gray, and any Twins who chose not to get vaccinated and can’t play in Canada. It’s a brutal confluence of challenges facing a team that has been largely without them in 2022. How they handle the next ten days will tell us a lot about this year’s Twins.
Bullpen Usage Chart
| FRI | SAT | SUN | MON | TUE | TOT | |
| Megill | 26 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 0 | 60 |
| Minaya | 0 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 57 |
| Jax | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 33 | 53 |
| Moran | 0 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 46 |
| Smith | 18 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 34 |
| Thielbar | 1 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 11 | 34 |
| Duffey | 0 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| Duran | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 |
| Pagán | 3 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
Next Up
On Wednesday, the Twins will continue their series against Detroit. Bailey Ober starts for Minnesota, against the outstanding Tarik Skubal of the Tigers. First pitch is 6:10 CT.
Postgame Interviews
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