Royals 2, Twins 0: Doubled Up

Maybe the Twins should invest in some metal trash cans.

They managed a measly 5 hits in a game started by Daniel Lynch and his career 6.00+ ERA. They were shut out. They have scored 3 runs or less in each of their 8 losses this season, and have been especially bad against opposing bullpens. It’s not too late for things to turn around, but we can’t keep blaming this on cold weather and a short spring training. This might be what the lineup is: nothing without Byron Buxton.

Things looked good at the start, as Jorge Polanco led off the game with a single. However, he was immediately erased from the basepaths as struggling import Carlos Correa grounded into the first double play of the night.

The Royals scraped together one run in the bottom of the 1st, with a leadoff double (which would have been a home run, but also kinda shoulda been caught by Trevor Larnach), an infield signal, a double play, and a groundout. All in all, Chris Paddack did a good job working around two hits to start off the game to get out of the inning without much damage.

That was really the story of the game: the Twins pitchers put together an excellent game, led by Paddack’s 5.0 innings where he gave up two scraped-together runs. The Royals’ second run came on an infield single, a regular single, and a bunt single. Seriously. Can you even imagine the Twins getting three hits in a row? They only had two runners on base at the same time ONCE today. They only had a runner reach second base TWICE.

Oh, and for good measure, the last of three double plays hit into today by the Twins ended the game (this one off the bat of Gary Sanchez).

On the sunny side, the bullpen pitched well today, with three shutout innings split between Caleb Thielbar and Cody Stashak. If Thielbar gets his act together after a tough start to the season, it would go a long way for the steadiness of the ‘pen. Now if only the relievers could start doing this in games where they enter with the lead, the Twins would be golden.

TL;DR: The lineup stunk out loud today, and the pitching was good.

STUDS

Chris Paddack: 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 K, 0 BB

Caleb Thielbar: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 2 K, 0 BB

Cody Stashak: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 2 K, 0 BB

Max Kepler: 1-1, 1 BB

DUDS

Every position player not named Max Kepler

COTG:

“Just realized that if we had won all these games we would be 11-0” -Brandon Brooks