ST. LOUIS — Anyone feeling optimistic about the Minnesota Twins shouldn't lose hope just because of what happened Opening Day. The Twins themselves haven't packed it in after game one of 162, despite falling to the St. Louis Cardinals in way reminiscent, superficially, of their own recent failures.
"Yeah, I don't think we feel sorry for ourselves or frustrated at all," catcher Ryan Jeffers said after a 5-3 loss at Busch Stadium.
The Twins talked all Spring Training about how things were already different in 2025, starting with a team-wide shift in attitude and culture about how to prepare more effectively. More group-oriented activities rather than individual preparation, all in an effort to get the most out of themselves.
Well, no matter what happened behind the scenes (or out in the open) at Fort Myers, the results in the opener reminded anyone watching of recent disappointments. Really recent for ace Pablo López, who struggled to put batters away after getting two strikes, just like in Spring Training. López said not to worry about it because Grapefruit League results don't count and he would fix it. Somebody tap their watch for Pablo.
López also got spooked by baserunners getting big jumps to steal second base. And, quite oddly, he couldn't field his position very well, making errant throws on plays he should execute in his sleep. If he had to do it all over again, López said, he wouldn't do it like that.
"I would prefer not to balk, and I would prefer to throw the ball to the shortstop," López said afterward. "We practiced early break step so much in spring training and... I didn't executed it single time.
"I feel like if I would have stayed a little more under control, slow the game down a little bit. Those are those two free outs that could have been huge in the end."
Even almost 900 games into a career, you can have a hiccup as López did. Or two or three. It's fortunate, however, that he had Ty France playing first base, picking and grinning, or else it would have been more errors. Not just for López but other infielders as well. France saved them, maybe not like how France saved the U.S. in the Revolutionary War, but similarly.
López's overall line against the Cardinals wasn't bad — if you're a fourth starter. Five innings (same as Sonny Gray!). Four runs (only two earned!). Eight hits (seven singles and a lot of soft contact). Just three strikeouts (no walks!). A lot of hard contact on outs, a costly balk and multiple poor throws while fielding his position (we've run out of positive parenthetical counterpoints).
Gray — now there's a guy who can put an iffy Spring Training behind him. Also: Nolan Arenado? Not ready for assited living.
It's not what you wanted, not what the Twins needed. But, López shouldn't be dismissed as a lesser ace because his Opening Day results lacked a Cy Young sheen. He's still an ace. Back in 2023 when the Twins made the postseason, López was excellent, and very ace-like, in winning both of his starts. Question answered: López is an ace. We've known for two years. No, you must put down your pencils, that quiz is over.
And the Twins should not be dismissed entirely because they're 0-1. At least give them 0-2. But seriously, the offensive execution looked a little like 2024, when they were able to score runs (10th in the league) but were wildly inconsistent at it. They went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position against the Cardinals, a periodic bugaboo in 2024. And they even foolishly loaded the bases in the second inning. Well, no wonder they didn't score any runs as a result!
They also hit the ball hard in moments and had little to show for it, thanks mostly to Victor Scott II making everyone forget about Victor Scott I by playing impenetrable defense in center field. Ty France will rise again.
The Twins wanted so badly to make a good first impression. They still can. A fast start is never just one game, unless you're talking about a postseason series. Good news there: MLB is about six months away from the playoffs.
Game 1 of 162, though? Kind of a clunker. Flush it. Although, has anyone ever tried to flush a broken-down automobile down a toilet? Provably a bad idea. Maybe have it towed to the junk pile instead.
Joe Ryan, you're up.