A three-game sweep of the Twins at the hands of the Kansas City Royals had me predicting that the season was just about over, especially if they struggled at all on their current road trip.
But that has not happened.
Instead, the Twins crossed the border and crushed the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday, then Jose Berrios, pitching like the all-star he is, blew them away Tuesday to win, 5-0. Now, Ervin Santana gets the ball Wednesday for a potential sweep before they head to Boston.
Berrios pitched shutout baseball for seven innings with nine strikeouts and one walk. He improved to 10-7 with a 3.48 ERA. A strong second half from Berrios is just what the Twins need.
Meanwhile, Eduardo Escobar, who is thought to be a potential trade target, continues to do his job. He had two extra-base hits Tuesday, including his 15th home run, and drove in three runs. I hope this wasn’t his last hurrah with the Twins. Both Escobar and fellow infielder Brian Dozier have been linked to a possible deal that would send both to the Milwaukee Brewers.
Extra innings..
-Guess who lost again Tuesday? The Cleveland Indians who are probably anxious to see the Pittsburgh Pirates leave town. With the loss, the Twins are now 7.5 games back of the Tribe.
-The Tampa Bay Rays have used relievers to start games, and now the Twins are experimenting with “bullpenning,” according to Twinkie Town. Trevor May recently pitched the first inning of a game for Triple-A Rochester.