The Minnesota Twins will try to get their offense back on track when they face the Philadelphia Phillies in the decisive game of a three-game series Wednesday afternoon in Minneapolis.
The Twins are coming off a 3-0 loss against the Phillies on Tuesday night. Minnesota managed just three hits and was shut out for the sixth time this year.
Twins manager Rocco Baldelli is eager to move on as quickly as possible, and a short turnaround heading into the series finale allows the team to do just that.
“We had a tough time getting anything going, really, especially with people on base,” Baldelli said. “We didn’t bring them home.
“Certain nights, you have this many guys on base and you score six runs. Yes, they do have a good staff overall. Everyone they’re going to bring in is difficult, whether it be because of stuff or because of some challenging pitches they bring.
“But when we had guys on base, we just didn’t find the grass. We didn’t hit the ball. A couple times, we don’t put the ball in play and give ourselves a chance.”
The Twins’ task will not get any easier as they face Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola (11-4, 3.54 ERA), who needs one more victory to match his win total from all of 2023. Nola allowed four runs in five innings his last time out against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday, which marked only the second time in his past 12 starts that he gave up more than three runs.
Nola has faced Minnesota only once in his career, and that start came in 2016. He allowed eight runs (seven earned) on seven hits in three innings and took the loss.
How long ago was that outing for Nola? Joe Mauer played first base for the Twins and went 2-for-5 with two runs in that game, and he is now a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame after being inducted last weekend.
Eight years later, Nola will go up against left-hander Steven Okert (3-1, 4.40), who will serve as the opener for Minnesota.
Okert has started only two games in 262 career big-league appearances, and he has not pitched more than two innings in a game this season. He could match up against the left-handed hitters at the top of the Phillies’ lineup before giving way to rookie David Festa, who reportedly will be called up from Triple-A Saint Paul and is expected to pitch the bulk of the innings in the series finale.
In 21 career games (one start) against the Phillies, Okert is 2-0 with a 2.79 ERA.
Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson continues to search for solutions at the back end of his bullpen. He expressed confidence in Gregory Soto, who struggled with his command Tuesday but earned the win in relief.
Look for Soto to get another chance in a high-leverage situation soon.
“He’s been throwing the ball so well, and I’ll give him another opportunity or two because he’s got that capability,” Thomson said. “He’s just got to slow it down a little bit.”
–Field Level Media
