Box Score
SP: Mick Abel 4.0 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K (69 pitches, 43 strikes (62%)
Home Runs: N/A
Bottom 3 WPA: Abel (-.23), Taylor Rogers (-.09), James Outman & Victor Caratini (-.08)
Win Probability Chart (via BaseballSavant)
Abel Gets of to a Slow Start in the Snow
Mick Abel took the mound in his first start of the season and his first Target Field start with snowflakes flying and temperatures plummeting. After pitching around a walk and a single in the top of the first, Abel froze up against the Rays hitters in the top of the second. The first baserunner really wasn’t his fault, as Royce Lewis couldn’t make the charging throw successfully on a Chandler Simpson leadoff swinging bunt, and Josh Bell couldn’t dig out the throw in his first chance at first base. With the speedy Simpson now on second, Abel went rogue walking Ben Williamson on four pitches and hitting number nine batter RIchie Palacios on an 0-2 pitch to load the bases.
With Yandy Diaz at the plate, another off-speed delivery went astray and plunked in the first run of the ballgame. With the bases still loaded, Jonathan Aranda delivered a missile off the right field wall to plate two more Rays for a 3-0 lead. One day after the Twins bullpen needed to toss 83 pitches, it looked like they were going to have to dig deep again if the Twins were going to make a comeback after Abel spun 57 pitches just to escape the first two innings.
Twins Try to Craft a Comeback
The Twins hoped to stage another comeback victory, but they faced Steven Matz in the finale of the “week of crafty lefties.” With the newly minted Silver Slugger, Byron Buxton, out of the lineup due to last night’s pitch off of his forearm, the Twins faced an uphill battle.
After a lifeless first inning, the Minnesota bats got some momentum moving in the bottom of the second. Matt Wallner snuck a single up the middle, and Ryan Jeffers worked a walk. Victor Carantini struck out, and Lewis got robbed on a diving catch by centerfielder Cedric Mullins. Brooks Lee returned to the lineup and delivered a clutch RBI single, which Mullins booted to put runners at second and third with two out. The Buxton replacement, James Outman, in all his left-handedness, struck out quickly to make Twins fans wonder what might have been.
Small Ball Stings Abel…and Rogers…
The Rays immediately regained their three-run lead in the top of the third, as Mullins dropped a successful bunt and quickly stole second base. Simpson threatened to bunt, and opted to lace a single to right instead to put runners on the corners with nobody out. Surprisingly, Simpson didn’t attempt to steal, and Williamson shot a grounder to a drawn-in Lee. Lee opted for the double-play, and Mullins scored to make it 4-1 Tampa. Taylor Rogers made his first Target Field appearance in a Twins jersey since 2021 in the top of the fifth inning. The Rays greeted him rudely with a single, a stolen base, a single, a stolen base, and a single to expand the lead to 6-1.
ABS…and Matz…Sting Twins
After Josh Bell lost a challenge in the first inning in an attempt to avoid a strikeout, Luke Keaschall lost a challenge in the third inning in an attempt to avoid a 1-2 count. This loss really stung when a 3-2 sinker looked to cruise outside of the zone, but strike three was the call, and there was no recourse left for the protesting young Twin. The Twins were going to have to fight the rest of the way with an expanded strike zone and no more challenges. WIth the border of the strike zone fully at his disposal, Matz proceeded to take down ten Twins batters in a row, cruising through six innings on 97 pitches.
Rays Keep On Running
While the Twins failed to take advantage of the Rays bullpen entering the scene in the bottom of the seventh, the Rays continued to take advantage of Caratini’s arm behind the plate. After stealing only two bases in their first seven games, Tampa swiped the fourth base of the evening in the top of the eighth inning. With Palacios now in scoring position, Diaz blasted a ball deep to right-center that went into and out of Outman’s glove for a “Buxton on the bench” triple, plating Palacios and adding insurance to insult at 7-1. It’s hard to place the blame for this loss upon any one Twin when only Lee, Jeffers, and Banda had positive WPA”s. Luckily only a few hundred fans had to witness it in person, and tomorrow’s always another day.
What’s Next?
The Twins look to take their first series of the season in an Easter Sunday matchup against the Rays. Twins righty Simeon Woods-Richardson (0-1, 3.60 ERA) will get his second start of the season, after taking a hard-luck loss against the Royals earlier in the week. The Rays will counter with righty Nick Martinez (0-0, 3.00 ERA) in the rubber game. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10pm CDT.
Postgame Interviews
Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
SAT
TOT
Kent
0
47
0
0
34
47
Laweryson
0
36
0
10
9
46
Banda
0
12
0
17
15
44
Funderburk
0
0
15
2
0
43
Topa
0
0
13
17
0
40
Orze
0
0
0
37
0
37
Rogers
0
0
4
0
23
18
Sands
0
0
11
0
0
11