The Twins have started the season playing late games on the west coast in Oakland and Seattle, which is probably for the best. After an offseason with so much promise, it is probably best that most fans saw the start of some of these games, as their bullpen has been a bit of a catastrophe.
The Twins have started the year 3-3, taking 2 from the A’s and splitting the series with the Mariners thus far at 1-1. Both losses to the A’s were pinned on relievers, with Zach Littell losing the opener and Tyler Clippard dropping the series finale. The opener with Seattle was bad news all around, with Randy Dobnak and Matt Wisler struggling through the entire game.
The starters were better. Kenta Maeda was good in his first two starts, while Homer Bailey shut out Oakland through his 5 innings of work. The OOTP Twins have slotted Jose Berrios as the third starter, and he struck out 8 through 6 1/3rd in the his first start of the season, and then saw some of the best bullpen work of the season behind him, as Cody Stashak, Taylor Rogers and Tyler Duffey worked 4 2/3 innings for the extra frame victory. After this game, Stashak was sent down to Rochester, swapped out for Blaine Hardy.
Offensively, the Twins have been threatening. Luis Arraez is batting .414 and even Nelson Cruz is topping .300. The Bombas seem to be back as well, as through 6 games, the team has hit 13 dingers, with Cruz, Josh Donaldson, Max Kepler, Miguel Sano and even Jorge Polanco, who isn’t playing every day, all having hit two bombs so far.
The .500 record has the team in a tie for third, with the Royals, who swept the White Sox in the opener, and 1 game out. Still and all, .500 on the road to start the season isn’t a bad start, and I’m sure fans and the team are satisfied.
Some other noteworthy news from the Twins and the rest of the baseball world. through the month of March.
- Cody Stashak, as noted, was sent down, with Blaine Hardy and his untorn UCL came up. The Twins were also active in signing veteran first basement to minor league deals. Daric Barton and Hanley Ramirez are both members of the Rochester Red Wings.
- Old friends Gabriel Moya and Buddy Boshers both signed with the Padres on minor league deals.
- The biggest lingering name on the FA market, Yasiel Puig signed a minor league deal with the Giants.
The season is 6 games in, so there is a long way to go. Who knows? Maybe Hanley Ramirez will be the difference maker.
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