Twins

Lewis Thorpe is Starting to Look Like a Major League Pitcher

Photo credit: Jon Durr (USA Today Sports)

Lewis Thorpe made his major league debut on the South Side of Chicago in a rivalry game for the Minnesota Twins, even in a down year for the White Sox. His parents surprised him by flying in from Melbourne, Australia to see the game, and he was quickly shuttled back to Triple-A even though he only gave up two runs in five innings.

On Thursday against the Kansas City Royals he gave up two earned runs in four innings of an 8-5 win where starter Kyle Gibson couldn’t get out of the second inning.

“He’s just more comfortable on the mound,” said Mitch Garver, who caught him in both games. “I remember in his debut, the eyes were spinning a little bit, and he was getting a little rattled out there. That’s easy to do.

“The more comfortable he becomes and the more he starts to read hitters and throw what he wants to throw in certain counts, that’s been the growth.”

Thorpe’s ascent is important for the Twins. In the short term, he’s a long relief option if things go haywire for a starter, as they did with Gibson, or if Minnesota needs a bullpen day (or two) as they did in Cleveland.

“Thorpey’s done a really nice job,” said Rocco Baldelli. “He’s pitched in some challenging circumstances, but important spots. He’s really come through when we’ve needed him. The beginning of the Cleveland start, obviously it took him a little while to find himself. Once he found himself, he pitched us into a great place.

“Today we send him out there without really a ton of direction, just go! Just go and give us some good, quality innings, and that’s exactly what he did. He pitched us into a place where we had an opportunity to win a game.”

Thorpe hasn’t been dominant in his outings, but he’s given the Twins enough to make them consider him on their playoff roster. He’s another lefty in the bullpen, one who can give them length. Not bad for a rookie who had 4.58 ERA in Triple-A this season.

Thorpe gave up three runs in 3⅓ innings in a 6-5 win over the Boston Red Sox, one of the best offenses in baseball.

“I thought it was a great outing, and he’s facing one of the best offenses in baseball,” said Baldelli after that game. “If you give them an inch, they’re going to take it and a lot more. I was very happy and impressed with what we saw.”

“The first couple [outings], I was nervous,” Thorpe admitted after the game. “Especially with the relief outings, I was nervous. A little bit not comfortable. But now, I’m starting to find my groove and command all of my pitches.”

And then he made a start in a pivotal Game 2 of a doubleheader in Cleveland and bounced back from a tough first inning to pitch 3⅔ innings in a 9-5 win that created separation from the Indians in the AL Central. While he gave up five runs, Baldelli was happy to have the length in a pinch after Jake Odorizzi’s start got rained out.

“Lewis Thorpe going out and throwing 40 pitches in the first inning and getting through the inning and then giving us multiple innings after that was enormous,” said Baldelli after the second Cleveland game. “It gave us the opportunity to turn to all these other guys and we had numerous guys go out and throw the ball really well after that.”

“I think I was sort, I don’t want to say intimidated, but more nervous in the fact pitching in a big game like that,” admitted Thorpe after that game. “Just didn’t have it in the first inning. My command, that wasn’t me, that’s not who I am.”

Garver thinks the next step for Thorpe is to use his curveball more effectively.

“He hung a few breaking balls there in two-strike counts, which you’d really like to bury, but he’s still learning,” said Garver after Thursday’s outing. “He left them up and they got base hits on them. Those are the ones that he wants back.

“He can land it for a strike, but we also need to bury it. Once he learns how to do that, I think he’ll be very effective, throwing up in the zone with the heater and down in the zone with the breaking ball, and he’s got a good changeup as well.”

Thorpe has the stuff, and should eventually learn how to use it more effectively. The question is how he’ll handle the pressure of being in the playoffs, should he be on the postseason roster. But with each outing he appears to be getting more comfortable, and as the season comes to a close, he should get more opportunities to prove he belongs in the Twins plans moving forward.

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