MLB Team Outlook: Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins are struggling this season to make an impact as they find themselves on the fourth spot in the American League Central Division, just above the last placed Kansas City Royals. The AL Central may not be the toughest divisions but all five
teams still have a tight competition between themselves for the top spot.
The Twins made an impressive start after the All-Star break with a 3-1 series win against the Kansas City Royals in the four-game series. Minnesota then had a strong chance to gain valuable points and move up the standings in the Central division when they
had two back-to-back four-game series against the Cleveland Indians and leaders Detroit Tigers at home.
The Twins, however, failed to make an impact and ended up splitting the four-game series against the Indians and losing 3-1 to the Tigers. The Twins slipped from 44-49 to 47-54 and still continue to pursue the .500 winning percentage.
Minnesota had an excellent opportunity after the All-Star break to improve their standing with 12 home games on the trot. They could only manage a 6-6 result from the 12 games and the only thing that this ensured was a stable position for the Indians and
the Tigers at the top of the division standings.
The Twins were then shattered on Monday, July 25 when the Texas Rangers humiliated them with a 20-6 victory. Playing on the road, the Twins did not have any answer to the battering by the Rangers and with three more games against the fast rising side, things
seem bleak for Minnesota.
Neither their batting nor their pitching has been imposing. Michael Cuddyer and Alexi Casilla have been the only notable players in the line-up while Scott Baker is the only pitcher to have decent statistics.
Scott Baker has started 18 games for Minnesota and has impressed with a win-loss record of 8-5. 50 percent of his starts have been quality starts and this is not a bad number, especially when the entire bull-pen is not performing. Baker is the only pitcher
in the pitching staff to record more than 100 (109) strike-outs this season and his earned run average has been exemplary at 2.88. Only if his rotation had been reasonable, things might have been different.
Carl Pavano and Brian Duensing are renowned starting pitchers but their performance this season has not been reasonable. Pavano has an ERA of 4.24 and Duensing has crossed Pavano to register an ERA of 4.53. The intensity of the competition is such that these
performances will only aid in hampering the cause of the team. The Twins will want a quick fix to the rotation problem if they want to turn the tables.
Cuddyer has been batting well but he needs assistance from the team to register bigger scores for the pitchers to defend. Cuddyer is just one run short of 50 runs this season and is batting at an average of .296. He also leads the list for most home-runs
among his team-mates with 14 thus far.
Casilla has gone one better than Cuddyer so far and has completed his 50 runs for the season. He has hit just two homers thus far at a batting average of .260.
The Twins now have a few tough games ahead with three against the Texas Rangers from July 26 to July 28. It will be vital for the Twins to even this series to at least stay in contention for the post season.
Tags: