Minnesota Twins post game: No longer in sole possession of first

The Minnesota Twins fell to the Cleveland Indians yet again as rookie Devin Smeltzer couldn’t quite get the job done against a new and improved Indians lineup.

The Minnesota Twins would fall in the 2nd of a 4-game series with Cleveland at Target Field. Devin Smeltzer faced off against All-Star Shane Bieber who held the Twins lineup in check for most of the evening. The 2 Minnesota Twins runs were scored thanks to 2 solo-blasts, one from Eddie Rosario and the other from Jason Castro. The Twins are now tied atop the AL Central with the Indians.

Twin Takeaway – The good

Randy Dobnak was a welcome bright-spot for the Minnesota pitching staff as he received his first big-league action and pitched quite well. Dobnak went 4 innings and though he gave up 6 hits, he allowed no runs and secured 3 strikeouts. A pretty impressive debut for the young pitcher that quickly climbed his way through the minor-league ranks. Though he’s currently being used out of the pen, like just about every other rookie the Twins call-up, hopefully he can get a few starts down the road.

This year in the minors, between a few different clubs, Dobnak has an ERA of 2.02 to go along with a record of 11-3. Some solid numbers throughout all levels he’s gotten to suggests he may just be able to handle the big-league level as well. Though there’s a massive difference, Randy seems to have the stuff to pitch in the MLB.

Twin Takeaway – The not-so-good

Brilliant through most of his other outings this year, Smeltzer struggled a bit against a pretty tough division rival. Going only 4.1 innings and allowing 6 earned-runs, Smeltzer had some trouble finding the zone this evening. He allowed 3 walks and only secured 4 strikeouts, showing a need to get back to controlling the zone like in his previous outings.

The Twins will need to step up their game or they’ll be staring at a 2-game deficit by the end of this series. With one of the weakest schedules remaining, it’s not time to panic quite yet. Though it will take a lot of grit and determination, this club has the veteran leadership to get the job done. Keep the faith and let’s turn this thing around.

The Minnesota Twins seemingly have the advantage tomorrow on the mound as Jake Odorizzi faces off against Adam Plutko. Odorizzi has been solid this year and is looking to stay in a bit of a groove since his outing against New York. Go Twinkies!