Twins

5/21 GAME NOTES: Twins Lose First Game of Doubleheader 6-4, Win Second Game 8-4

Mejia gets the Mariners for the second straight start.

Both games of today’s doubleheader between the Minnesota Twins and Kansas City Royals started similarly. The end result of each game, however, was much different.

In the second inning of the first game, Eric Hosmer singled off of Phil Hughes and Salvador Perez knocked him in with a two-run homer. In the first inning of the second game, Hosmer singled off of Adalberto Mejia and Perez knocked him in with a home run. Kansas City took the first game 6-4, snapping the Twins six-game winning streak against them to start the year, but Minnesota won the second game 8-4 behind a strong start from Adalberto Mejia.

“He got his first big league win, it’s a big day. Tried to acknowledge that out there in the clubhouse in front of his teammates,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said of Mejia, who was tagged by Perez for another homer in the fourth inning. “You take Perez out of the lineup, it would have been a really good day. He seemed like he was all over everything most of both of the games.”

“I thought he threw it over,” added Molitor (Mejia threw 60 of his 89 pitches for strikes). “I thought he was aggressive. At times maybe he overthrew it just a little bit, but overall you gotta be pleased. You get seven innings, and bounce back and win the second game after you let the first one slip away.”

Hughes, on the other hand, lasted only four innings, giving up six hits and five earned runs. After the second game the Twins announced that he was headed to the disabled list with shoulder soreness.

“We took him out of the game. He had a little shoulder discomfort that we’re gonna get a little further and deeper into the examination aspect of what’s going on there,” said Molitor.

“It was a little bit of a struggle for him, and part of it maybe was he was feeling a little shoulder stiffness. I’m not sure how much I can comment on how much exactly what might be going on, because I don’t really know, so hopefully we’ll get more information tomorrow.”

Molitor said that he didn’t have “the smallest inkling” that Hughes may be hurt in his previous three starts.

Hughes explains his ailment here:

Adam Wilk bailed the Twins out in the first game, going 3.2 innings and giving up a single earned run, saving the bullpen during the straight doubleheader.

Minnesota lit up Ian Kennedy, who was coming off the disabled list, in the second game. He managed to go only 2.0 innings, giving up three hits and five earned runs — four of which came in the first inning.

Most of the scoring in the doubleheader came via home run. Perez homered once in the first game, twice in the second. Brandon Moss homered twice in the first game. Jorge Bonifacio also went yard in the first game.

Robbie Grossman, Max Kepler, Chris Gimenez and Eric Hosmer all homered in the second game. It’s all a bit surprising, if only because Target Field is considered a pitcher’s park and it was between 40 and 50 degrees all day.

“Gosh, I can’t think many that were hit that wouldn’t gone on a hot day. Perez crushed his, Kep pulled his enough to where he got it up over the overhang, and Robbie put a charge in his ball,” said Molitor. “Gimenez got under that one a little bit, but it still carried out.

“I don’t think the wind was really knocking it down as much as it was cool, but the ball still went out of the park.”

Molitor appeared happy with his team’s effort today, despite losing the first game.

“It was just a nice response, because after you lose the first game, and you give up a couple right away, you’re kinda curious as how we would react to that,” he said. “But to come right back and take the lead and then build on it from there, we end up salvaging the series and win three of the last four here at home, and on to Baltimore.

“But you’ll take the split.”

Gibson will start tomorrow

Despite his strong performance, Mejia will be sent down. He was the 26th man today, so the team doesn’t have to wait 10 days to call him up like they normally would have to.

“We’re gonna work it out here. We’re still facing the same issues we talked about the whole homestand with potential weather issues in Baltimore,” said Molitor.

“He’s gonna go back down there and get his work in. He pitched well enough to get another shot here, we’re just gonna have to map it out.”

Gibson will get the start Monday, taking the roster spot vacated by Hughes’ move to the DL. He struck out 18 batters in his two Triple-A outings.

“In talking to people and reading reports, there’s been some improvement on things that we thought were affecting his ability to compete at a little higher level up here. Some of it’s overall strike percentages, some of it’s getting ahead of hitters,” he said.

“We have a tendency to be looking at those things a little bit differently than we have in the past, and how they seem to measure up to your overall performance, and how you do in those areas.

“Opportunity here with the injury to come up and get another shot.”

Twins
It’s Starting To Feel Like 2022 Again
By Tom Schreier - Mar 28, 2024
Twins
3 Under-the-Radar Twins Prospects to Keep An Eye On in 2024
By Cody Schoenmann - Mar 28, 2024
Twins

Can Pablo Lopez Cement His Twins Legacy In 2024?

Mejia gets the Mariners for the second straight start.

The Minnesota Twins begin their 2024 season on Thursday in Kansas City. It’s been a long off-season for a fanbase coming off their first postseason success in […]

Continue Reading