Minnesota has won four of its last six games, indicating a second-half surge.
With the MLB trade deadline quickly approaching, Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli wants Major League Baseball to know that his team is serious: “The time is now.” The sixth-year manager reminded the league that his second-place Twins, who just won a series against the Detroit Tigers, will be a force to be reckoned with after the all-star break.
“It’s a serious group of players. “Not decent, OK players,” Baldelli told Dan Hayes of The Athletic. “There are some stars out there on the field, as well as some terrific young players who we don’t know how good they will be yet, but they are already quite good. It’s a good combination, but these men can perform at a high level. So come and see them.
This is not the first time Rocco Baldelli has said something to motivate his troops. The Twins manager openly chastised his team’s underperforming offense in May, following a terrible start to the season.
While dropping two straight to the Brewers knocked the Twins back at first, they have since caught fire this week, taking two of three from the league’s best team, the Philadelphia Phillies, at home before winning two of three on the road this weekend against the Tigers. The Twins now have two consecutive series victories to begin the second half and have reason to be optimistic, particularly with Royce Lewis back to form after a time on the IL.
After missing many weeks, Lewis has gone 3-for-9 at the plate, including a double and a two-run homer against Detroit ace Tarik Skubal on Saturday. Since the all-star break, the Twins’ bats have been on fire, with the team scoring roughly five runs per game offensively.
Rocco Baldelli’s group will become even stronger as its stars recover. Jose Miranda, a power hitter, is anticipated to return soon, while superstar shortstop Carlos Correa should return from his 10-day IL early next week.
Bailey Ober shines amidst Twins resurgence
Minnesota’s rotation remains strong, thanks in part to starting pitcher Bailey Ober’s shutout performance on Sunday (8.0 IP, 11 Ks, 1 H). Simeon Woods-Richardson, Joe Ryan, and Pablo Lopez have all delivered strong starts after returning from the midsummer classic.
After an 11-strikeout, one-hit outing against the Tigers, Rocco Baldelli is optimistic about Ober’s ability down the stretch.
“He’s very consistent,” the 2019 Manager of the Year stated. “He’s mentally tough. He is strong. He knows what to do. He effectively slows down the game. “He’s an excellent pitcher.
In the midst of the MLB trade deadline, the Twins have failed to make any additions to bolster an already overloaded squad.
With a series against the New York Mets on the horizon, the Twins and Rocco Baldelli might continue to remind fans that “the time is now.”
