The Twins’ winning streak came to an end on Tuesday, as I suspected it might, after defending National League Cy Young award winner Sandy Alcantara worked his magic and blanked the club on three hits.
Sandy went the distance, issuing one walk and striking out five. The only Twins with hits were Carlos Correa, Trevor Larnach and Michael Taylor. The team did not have an extra-base hit.
Twins starter Kenta Maeda, who last took the mound for a regular season game in August 2021 (he then had Tommy John surgery), also allowed only three hits, but he made one mistake which resulted in an Avisail Garcia home run. Maeda struck out nine over five innings and then appeared to hurt himself and leave the game. It turns out, he had run out of steam.
“I think he was gassed in a lot of ways,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli told MLB.com. “He had to work and then come into the dugout. And truthfully he was not in the dugout very long because the guy on the other side of the field was having some very, very quick innings.”
Pablo Lopez gets the ball Wednesday.
Extra innings …
-The Twins’ home opener has been pushed to Friday because snow is in the forecast. Or at least it was. A check of the National Weather Service shows it will be clear and cold on Thursday, but 10 degrees warmer on Friday.
-Sonny Gray is still on tap to start the home opener.
-On April 4, 1989, the Twins lost 4-2 to pitcher Tommy John and the New York Yankees. It was John’s 287th win of his career. The Twins were hurt by center fielder Roberto Kelly, the No. 9 hitter in the Yankees’ lineup that day. Kelly went 4-for-4 with a double and home run, according to Baseball-Reference.com.