The Minnesota Twins lost the series opener in the series against the Guardians 5-2. On the season, the Twins fell to 69-78.
It was a very winnable game for the Twins, but for a team that has underperformed for over a month in almost every facet of the game, gave another away tonight.
Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Taj Bradley. Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Taj Bradley outdueled Parker Messick . It was not his sharpest outing in terms of command for Bradley, but he got the job done. Bradley went six innings, allowing just one hit, no runs. The issue for Bradley tonight was the fact he issued four walks.
The stuff was good for Bradley today. But the command is an issue. The way his stuff looked, he could have gone deeper into the outing with the ripple effect down to the way the bullpen is managed and the overall outcome of the game.
As the graphic shows, Bradley especially struggled against left-handed batters. The issue is how left-handed the Guardians lineup was today against Bradley. The command is something Bradley is going to need to work on down the road.
Minnesota Twins first baseman Royce Lewis. Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Twins' offense did not do much tonight against the Guardians. Royce Lewis drove in the first run for the Twins on an RBI double against Messick in the second inning, who did not have his best stuff in the outing.
The Twins did have chances to come through and extend the lead, but they went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position. The hit came off the bat of rookie Kaelen Culpepper in the sixth inning to, at the time, tie the game after the Guardians took the lead a half-inning prior.
The Twins' offense really needs to be better. Messick was chased in the sixth inning, and on the day was not as good as he's been in other games this season. The Twins did not keep enough pressure on him when they certainly had chances. This has been an issue for a bit, especially when facing bullpens . Now 5 1/2 games back a postseason spot, the offense needs to simply be better.
Minnesota Twins pitcher Yoendrys Gomez. Credit: Brian Bradshaw Sevald-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
It was only a matter of time. Yoendrys Gmez completely melted down in the top of the ninth inning. As closers often do, Gmez was called upon to come in for the top of the ninth inning in a tie game. He issued two walks, two hits, a wild pitch, and most importantly, three runs.
Gmez took the loss in the game, giving up three runs overall and really struggled. The underlying numbers on Gmez have been suspect for some time now , and the Twins should hope that tonight was not the start of a more profound issue for the Twins.
The Twins will play the middle game of the three-game series against the Guardians. For the Twins, it will be LHP Connor Prielipp. On the season, Prielipp is 4-7 with a 5.25 ERA. The Guardians have yet to announce a starter. First pitch Saturday will be at 3:10 P.M. CT on TwinsTV.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/twins/onsi as Twins Takeaways: Yoendrys Gmez Meltdown Wastes Taj Bradley Gem .
