MINNEAPOLIS -- A pitchers’ duel turned ugly for the Twins in the late innings on Tuesday, as missed opportunities came back to haunt the home team and the Minnesota bullpen took one on the chin in a 7-1 loss at Target Field. Here are three things to know from the defeat, and two ways to look at each of them.
Joe Ryan looked awfully good … but he isn’t all the way back
Joe Ryan said some interesting things after his last start in New York, when the Mets knocked him around. He told reporters that even when he’d been getting good results in previous starts, he wasn’t quite where he wanted to be mechanically.
On Tuesday, the results were definitely closer once again. Ryan allowed two runs on six hits in six-plus innings, with six strikeouts and one walk. It was, from the box score line, a Joe Ryan start. And the right-hander said he’s getting closer to where he wants to be with his delivery. But he’s still not quite all the way there yet.
“I think that we made a couple good adjustments this week,” Ryan said. “Still a couple things I want to iron out, but yeah, I’d say in that regard, a couple extra pitches there. I think a couple things that I can do to sustain that a little bit longer in the game. Just keep a couple hits and a couple runs off the board there, so it’s just a little frustrating from my side.”
RISP isn’t a separate skill … but it sure does matter
You know who hits well with runners in scoring position? Good hitters. There’s all kinds of research that makes it clear that hitting in RBI situations just isn’t really a separate skill from hitting in all other situations. But that definitely doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter. And it doesn’t make it less frustrating when you don’t get those hits and the opponent does.
It mattered in a huge way on Tuesday. The Twins went 0-for-6 in RISP situations in the first four innings and 0-for-10 overall, stranding six runners early and missing chance after chance to break the game open against Logan Gilbert. Meanwhile through five innings, the Mariners only got one runner to second base. Then in the late innings, Seattle capitalized repeatedly, and it was the difference in the game.
“I think that was the story of the game,” said manager Derek Shelton. “I thought Joe did a nice job, but when you go 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position and have multiple opportunities, and you’re not able to cash in on them, especially against a team like this where you know they are going to continue to go and you know they have the bullpen that they have, we weren’t able to capitalize. I thought we did a good job early making him work and we weren’t able to get runners in.”
You may not believe this, but the Twins have been one of baseball’s best teams hitting with RBI chances over the season. They have a .264/.372/.429 line in those situations, the fifth best OPS in the Major Leagues. But on Tuesday, they didn’t convert. Seattle did and it cost the Twins.
Byron Buxton keeps making history… but he’s still looking for an RBI single
Buxton recorded his first steal of the year, and his team-leading seventh homer, as his power stroke continues to come around. All seven of his homers have come in the past 13 games, as he’s brought his overall season slash line to a solid .237/.296/.474.
And the history aspect? It was the 18th time in Buxton’s career that he’s homered and stolen a base in the same game. That’s the second highest total in Twins/Senators history, and he’s now just one short of the all-time franchise leader, Torii Hunter.
But somehow with those seven homers, Buxton only has 10 RBIs. To go back to that RISP topic, he’s an almost unfathomable 0-for-18 with runners in scoring position this year, with a sacrifice fly, but he has no other RBIs in those situations. He hit .313 with RISP last year, so there’s no doubt that he can do it, but so far this year, he hasn’t.