A two-game winning streak is nothing to go crazy over, but there are signs that the Twins could be on the verge of getting pretty hot.
All it takes to rattle off a bunch of wins is a combination of quality starting pitching, reliable bullpen work and timely hitting.
The Twins lacked all of that when they lost 12 of 14 games from April 20 to May 3, but the last two games are showing good indicators for some sustained success.
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Brian Dozier and Logan Morrison are starting to click a little bit at the plate, and if they get it going it’ll take some pressure off the four guys who have carried the offense so far this season: Eduardo Escobar, Joe Mauer, Eddie Rosario and Max Kepler.
Here are some quick hitters to show that things are going in the right direction.
- Dozier has four hits in two games after going 3-for-39 in previous 10.
- Lance Lynn didn’t walk anyone and pitched six good innings his last start.
- Fernando Rodney has four straight scoreless appearances.
- Rosario is quietly 17th in the AL in slugging percentage (.522).
- Kepler is hitting .279 and is on pace to hit 50 doubles.
- Mauer is third in the majors with a .440 on-base percentage.
- Morrison is hitting .303 with two homers and seven RBI in his last nine games.
- Escobar is putting up All-Star caliber numbers with an 1.005 OPS.
Not only that but Byron Buxton is close to returning from migraines and a broken toe that have kept him out since April 17, and Miguel Sano (strained hamstring) shouldn’t be too far behind him.
It’s pretty clear that the offense is going to be fine, and the pitching staff, despite getting shelled the last two-plus weeks, is filled with enough talent to contend.
Lynn finally showed some life while Jose Berrios (3.98 ERA) and Jake Odorizzi (4.10 ERA) still have respectable ERAs despite giving up 11 homers in their last seven combined starts.
Kyle Gibson has surprisingly been the rock in the rotation, sporting a 3.38 ERA and a career-best 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings.
With Ervin Santana returning from finger surgery in June and the arrival of a possible dominating rookie, Fernando Romero, things are finally starting to look up for the Twins.
