When the Twins lost injured starters Chris Paddack and Joe Ryan after the all-star break, there was concern about how the team would fare with three rookie starters in the rotation.
The early answer is not so good.
David Festa, the Twins’ top-rated pitching prospect, and Zebby Matthews have shown why they could be rotation regulars in the near future. But their inexperience is showing as Minnesota tries to hunt down a second straight American League Central Division title.
In his 10th major league start Monday, Festa allowed four earned runs in four innings on four hits — including Brandon Drury’s two-run homer — and three walks in the Twins’ 6-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels in front of 14,450 at Target Field.
The Twins have lost 6 of 7 and fell six games behind first–place Cleveland in the Central. They also lost a half-game in the wild card race and now lead idle Detroit and Seattle by three games.
Since Festa and Matthews joined the rotation, the rookies are a combined 3-9 with a 5.78 earned-run average.
On the other end, a lineup missing key pieces Carlos Correa (foot), Byron Buxton (hip) and Max Kepler (knee) has run aground. The Twins are 4-11 since Aug. 25, and have been outscored in those losses 69-24. In their past seven games, they’re averaging 10.1 strikeouts and 1.85 runs.
“It’s a long season,” said infielder Royce Lewis, who was 0 for 4 with three strikeouts. “If you hit a homer in all 480 at-bats, 500 at-bats, that’d be great, obviously, but that’s never gonna happen. There’s times where you’re going to struggle for a moment at the plate, and right now unfortunately it’s contagious for us, but hopefully we’ll snap out of it tomorrow.”
After reading his team the riot act Sunday in the wake of a 2-0 loss, and three-game sweep, at Kansas City, manager Rocco Baldelli said he was eager to see how his team would respond on Friday. But Baldelli watched his team struggle against Angels left-hander Reid Detmers (4-6), who held the Twins to two runs on five hits — including Kyle Farmer’s solo home run in the third inning.
Detmers walked two and was responsible for eight of the Twins 11 strikeouts.
“I definitely wanted to see more here,” Baldelli said. “Maybe it comes tomorrow, maybe it comes the next day. As long as it comes, we’re going to feel good about that when it comes.”
Festa struggled from the start. The Angels took a 2-0 lead before the Twins recorded an out. Leadoff hitter Taylor Ward drew a walk and moved to third on Zach Nito’s double to right field. No. 3 hitter Nolan Schanuel then brought both runners home with a single to left.
Los Angeles doubled the lead in the third inning when Schanuel drew a two-out walk and came home on Drury’s home run into the second deck in left field to make it 4-0. Baldelli pulled Festa after a scoreless fourth inning.
“I kind of labored the whole outing, so the decision was his and probably makes sense,” Festa said. “But the competitiveness in me made me want to keep going and try to turn it around and give the team some length. Try to get through five and maybe if the fifth inning was quick, potentially go out the sixth.
“But I labored today. Didn’t really have much feel for my pitches. I feel like I hadn’t been in that situation in a good bit, which is a good thing. Just had to battle out there, and then the walks and the home run really cost me.”
Festa (2-6) walked three and struck out four and saw his earned-run average rise to 5.08 in 11 appearances.
“I’m a big David Festa fan. I think he’s capable of a ton. He’s going to do a lot of great things for us,” Baldelli said. “I think finding his release point and what he was looking for, it came and went today. That’s really it.”
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