Minnesota Twins 3 Up, 3 Down: Jose Berrios’ struggles a concern for Twins down the stretch

The Minnesota Twins had a disappointing week with a .500 home stand, but they need to figure out how to get their pitching staff on track for a postseason run.

If there’s one thing we know about the Minnesota Twins this season, it’s that they can hit. With Minnesota closing in on an MLB record for most home runs in a single season, it’s apparent that if a team wants to get in a slugging contest, the Twins are able to go blow-for-blow as they head into the final stretch of the season.

That’s an entertaining brand of baseball for fans, but it might raise the blood pressure of those who are involved with the team.

When the team got off to their hot start with a 40-18 record, they did so not just by outslugging their opponents, but outpitching them as well. As the starting rotation thrived under new pitching coach Wes Johnson, the bullpen was able to enter the game in low-pressure situations and the Twins wound up building a huge lead.

Now, the starting rotation can’t seem to buy a quality start and as a result, the bullpen has come crashing down to earth. At the center of this dilemma is Jose Berrios, who began the season as the staff ace, but has seen his performance take a dive since the calendar turned to August.

There are still some great things going on with the Twins, but in the postseason, Berrios may be the pitcher that has the greatest upside to solidify their rotation. If the Twins can’t get him going, we may see more weeks like this and perhaps an earlier than anticipated exit from this pennant chase.