It was a tough matchup from the beginning. Nick Tepesch, a 28-year-old who began the year in the minor leagues, was pitching for the first time in over two weeks. He was facing reigning Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello and a stacked Boston Red Sox lineup.
The surprise was not that the Minnesota Twins lost. It was how it happened.
Tepesch gave up a home run to Chris Young, his first of two today, and a single to Sandy Leon in the second inning, but had two strikes with two outs on Josh Rutledge.
Then Jorge Polanco was charged for an error and things unwound from there. Tepesch didn’t get out of the inning. Dustin Pedroia had a bases-clearing double. Xander Bogaerts and Andrew Benitendi, Hanley Ramirez and Mitch Moreland continued the hit parade. In total, seven unearned runs were scored.
“We’ll never know how it might have changed the game,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said of Polanco’s error. “We didn’t make a play, obviously, and then we couldn’t get off the field.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen two outs, two strikes, 0-2 count, nobody on base and then eight runs. It’s just one of those ironies of the game that when it goes against you, it hurts a lot because you do think about what might have been.”
Tepesch was gracious after the game, putting all the blame on himself instead of faulting Polanco.
“I don’t know if he was really rattled. I think that there was obviously, what we talked about before the game, you go out there and you’re facing a really good lineup and you haven’t had that chance for a while,” said Molitor.
“I thought he was making some pitches. Obviously once we made the miscue, he started leaving a couple pitches over the middle,” he added. “But there were some things that you try to be encouraged about, even though it turned out to be a not particularly good outing for him as a whole.”
Friend of the Midwest Swing podcast Drew Rucinski saved the bullpen, however, by going 3.1 innings and only giving up two runs on five hits.
“He did fine,” said Molitor. “A couple quick hits, three for pitches in he gave up a couple knocks. But for the most part he did fine.
“He gave up the other homer later on, but he was able to milk some innings for us, which was important as far as us trying to find a way to get through the game.”
Craig Breslow and Ryan Pressly gave up a run each in on inning of relief. Michael Tonkin gave up a homer and walked three, however, forcing backup catcher Chris Gimenez to make his second relief outing of the season.
Tonkin was designated for assignment after the game. Selected in the 30th round of the 2008 draft, he made his debut in 2013 and has pitched over 135 innings in the big leagues.
“My compliments are along the lines of a guy who takes the ball and hasn’t had a chance in terms of pitching significant innings very often,” said Molitor, “but he’s provided value along the way, and [I] just encouraged him to look at this as an opportunity, even though there’s a lot of frustration here, I’m sure, in the moment, but we’ll see how it plays out.”
Pitching, especially starting pitching, is starting to look like a serious issue for the Twins — something that could hold them back from reaching their potential this year if it is not addressed.
They have endured one blowout in four of their past five series, including today.
“We’ll figure out the rotation going forward here,” said Molitor, “hopefully sooner than later.”
