CLEVELAND -- Even while prized new trade acquisition Mick Abel was scheduled to take the mound 110 miles to the west, the Twins turned to journeyman José Ureña when they needed an emergency starter on Sunday. Ureña was up to the task, setting the table for a badly needed win.
The veteran right-hander, on his fourth Major League roster just this year, pitched four effective innings, teeing up the revamped Minnesota bullpen to bring home a 5-4 win against the Guardians at Progressive Field. It was the Twins’ first win in three games since their drastic Trade Deadline makeover.
“He’s going to be looking for that weak contact, and he got a whole bunch of it as the outing went on,” said manager Rocco Baldelli. “That’s what you’re looking for from him, all day long.”
It was Minnesota’s first one-run win in Cleveland since Aug. 24, 2020, ending a streak of 14 consecutive defeats in those games.
The Twins found themselves needing a starter on short notice when scheduled starter Simeon Woods Richardson was deemed unavailable due to a stomach issue. Although Abel, acquired in the trade for Jhoan Duran, was on turn to pitch and has appeared in the Majors this year, the Twins preferred not to interrupt the plan they have for him, leaving him at Triple-A St. Paul. He started at Toledo on Sunday afternoon, pitching five scoreless innings with one hit, two walks, and seven strikeouts.
Likewise with right-hander Taj Bradley, also acquired in a Deadline deal, and also assigned to St. Paul.
The club views both young righties as pieces of its long-term future. Both are working on adjustments that should help them find that long-term success, and the Twins did not want to interrupt that process.
“The last thing you want to do is have guys come to the big leagues in a new environment, new staff, new everything, oh, and, 'By the way, I'm working on something,’” said Twins president of baseball and business operations Derek Falvey. “If you can get some of that work done in Triple-A to invest in the long-term future for that guy's career, it's usually a little bit better. That was our goal.”
So the call went to Ureña, one of eight players called up from Triple-A St. Paul on Friday following the flood of trades that the Minnesota front office carried out over the preceding days. In total, 10 players were dealt off the Major League roster.
After he was staked to a 4-0 first-inning lead, Ureña allowed a two-run homer to Cleveland star José Ramírez, then wasn’t scored on again. He struck out three against one walk, allowed five hits, and threw 43 of his 69 pitches for strikes.
“When the team gives you a pretty good lead, you've got to go out there and attack the hitters,” Ureña said. “You can see the results.”
While it’s been a tumultuous week for the Twins, you could apply the same descriptor to Ureña’s season. He signed with the Mets during Spring Training and was let go in late April. He spent four weeks with the Blue Jays and 10 days with the Dodgers before signing a Minor League deal with Minnesota.
Now he’s back on a big league roster and contributing.
“It's pretty tough,” he said. “But the biggest thing is, it's not about how many times you fall, it's about how many times you get up and keep moving forward. I feel like I got a little pop, and I got a little talent. God blessed me, and I've been healthy, so I try to keep fighting. Every team that they think I can help, I put in my part.”