MINNEAPOLIS -- With two-fifths of their rotation going on the IL in the past week, the spotlight has never been brighter on the Twins’ starting pitchers. Joe Ryan and Chris Paddack have ranged from solid to outstanding so far this year. But the other three starters were put to the test this week against the Rangers, and the results were decidedly mixed.
Second-year man Simeon Woods Richardson pitched three scoreless innings before running into trouble the second time through the order in Tuesday’s blowout loss. On Wednesday, rookie David Festa -- with a boost from Byron Buxton’s “mesmerizing” performance -- was efficient and effective through six strong innings.
The Twins’ biggest concern right now might be the recent outings from a guy who’s usually one of their most consistent workhorses, Bailey Ober. The latest red flags came during the Twins’ 16-3 loss to the Rangers on Thursday, when Ober gave up seven earned runs in 4 2/3 innings.
Six days after raising concerns as his four-seam fastball dipped to a career-low average of 89.3 mph, Ober set career highs by walking six batters and allowing four home runs. Though his fastball ticked up to 90.2 mph on Thursday, his command of the pitch was off.
“It was a tough day out there,” Ober said. “Struggling to find the zone, and then when I do, the ball’s getting hit. So yeah. It was a tough day.”
For most of the season, Ober had been his typically reliable self. In 11 starts in April and May, he went 4-0 with a 2.43 ERA and he walked 11 batters in 59 1/3 innings. The nosedive he’s taken the last two starts seems to have come out of nowhere, and although Ober mentioned some issues with his left hip that he’s working through, he also said he was dealing with it all season long, even when he was pitching well.
Between starts, Ober focused on tweaking his mechanics, and at least some of that work paid off Thursday.
“I felt better mechanically, moving faster on the mound today,” he said. “But it was harder to find my release point today on that side of the mechanics. I’m still not where I want to be. But I think I’m making strides in the right direction. Just got to stick to it and get back to working hard. It’ll eventually get there.”
He’ll have plenty of support in that effort, of course, starting with manager Rocco Baldelli and pitching coach Pete Maki. Baldelli said the plan before his next start -- most likely in Cincinnati on Wednesday or Thursday -- will be getting back to basics.
“Part of his job, which he does well -- and part of Pete’s job -- is to simplify things,” Baldelli said. “You don’t want to have too many thoughts or topics in your head. If he’s able to execute his pitches, he’s a great pitch-maker. So if he can get back to just being the great pitch-maker that he is, which he’s been his entire career -- both Major Leagues and Minor Leagues and probably before that -- he’s gonna be more than OK. Simplifying his plan for the week will probably be part of that.”
In light of the injuries suffered by Pablo López and Zebby Matthews, one of a manager’s biggest challenges is to not overreact to Ober’s struggles. Baldelli took a philosophical view of the situation after Thursday’s game.
“[In] six months and 162 games, you're gonna run into weeks and even months that are not gonna be the easiest time,” he said. “You're not gonna be able to rely on simply your top guys and your big-name players all the time.
“Right now, we're going to be challenging some other guys on the pitching staff to go out there and go shove, go give us some great outings and pitch us to some wins. That's where my head's at. I like challenging guys, and we're at the point where we're going to do it.”