Twins bullpen melts down again as lack of depth hurts in extra-innings loss to Guardians
The Minnesota Twins bullpen has been a major issue for the team this season, and it reared its ugly head again on Tuesday night in a 6-5 loss to the Cleveland Guardians in extra innings
The Twins had a 5-2 lead heading into the ninth inning, but the bullpen couldn't hold it. Jorge López allowed two runs on two hits and a walk, and Jharel Cotton allowed two more runs on two hits and a walk to give the Guardians the win.
The Twins bullpen has now allowed 40 runs in 39 innings this season, a 9.26 ERA. That's the worst ERA in the majors among teams that have played at least 20 games.
The lack of depth in the Twins bullpen has been a major problem for the team
The Twins have just four reliable relievers in López, Cotton, Tyler Duffey, and Emilio Pagán. When one of those pitchers is unavailable, the Twins have to turn to less-experienced pitchers who have been unreliable.
On Tuesday night, the Twins had to use seven pitchers in the game, including three pitchers who had never pitched in the majors before this season. The result was a bullpen meltdown that cost the Twins the game.
The Twins need to find a way to improve their bullpen if they want to be a contender this season
The Twins have a lot of talent on their team, but they won't be able to win consistently if their bullpen continues to struggle. The team needs to find a way to add some more reliable relievers to the mix.
One option would be to trade for a reliever. The Twins have a lot of young talent that they could use to acquire a proven reliever.
Another option would be to promote some of their young relievers from the minors. The Twins have a number of promising young relievers in their system, but they need to be given a chance to prove themselves in the majors.
No matter how the Twins decide to address their bullpen issues, they need to do something soon. The team is already 9-9 this season, and they can't afford to fall any further behind in the AL Central.
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