What’s left to say? Twins pitching is terrible and it showed again Wednesday after Tyler Duffey gave up seven hits and six runs, all earned, in three-plus innings of work. Duffey might lead the team with eight wins, but now he also leads the team with 10 losses. He exited the game with an ERA of 6.24 and the Twins went on to lose 9-4 to the Detroit Tigers.
The only bright spot in Wednesday’s game was Brian Dozier, who hit his 30th home run of the season. Since moving to Target Field in 2010, he’s only the second Twin to hit 30 homers in a season. The first was Josh Willingham, who hit 35 in 2012.
With a week left in August, Brian Dozier needs 1 HR to become first Twin since Harmon Killebrew in July 1969 to hit a dozen HRs in a month.
— Phil Miller (@MillerStrib) August 25, 2016
Extra innings…
-As expected, struggling starter Hector Santiago will get some more rest between starts after the Twins announced he has a bruised thumb. Let’s see if the skipped start actually helps. Since coming to the Twins in exchange for pitcher Ricky Nolasco, he is 0-4 with an ERA of 10.89.
-Korean slugger Byung Ho Park will have season-ending surgery on his wrist. Park, who joined the Twins this season, got off to a quick start with 12 home runs, but then he struggled at the plate and earned a trip to Triple-A Rochester — where he also struggled. His .224 batting average in the minors is a little disconcerting.
-Wednesday’s loss was the sixth straight, making it, for the moment, the third longest this season. The Twins also have had losing streaks of eight and nine games.
-The Twins are 2-9 versus the Tigers this season.
-Fireballer Pat Light made another scoreless appearance.
-In the depressing, corporate world of baseball, the Chicago White Sox announced a 13-year naming rights agreement with Guaranteed Rate, a mortgage lender. In other words, U.S. Cellular Field (which was bad enough) will now become Guaranteed Rate Field. The Twins play their final three-game series of the season at Guaranteed Rate.
BREAKING: Mortgage lender Guaranteed Rate has signed a 13-year naming rights deal with @whitesox. New name? GUARANTEED RATE FIELD
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) August 24, 2016