The Twins manager pointed to bullpen consistency as the team's biggest issue following an 8-5 loss to Colorado on Saturday night.
The Minnesota Twins dropped their fourth game out of five on Saturday, falling 8-5 to the Colorado Rockies at Target Field in a game that once again put a spotlight on the team's biggest problem.
Colorado catcher Hunter Goodman launched three home runs off Minnesota pitching, and manager Derek Shelton did not hold back afterward when talking about what the bullpen needs to do.
"At some point, we're going to have to have one guy, two guys, three guys step up and pitch well consecutively," Shelton said. "Right now, we're just not there."
A Bullpen Without Answers
Starter Mike Paredes gave the team a solid outing through 5.1 innings, holding Colorado to three runs, but once the bullpen took over, the game fell apart fast.
Kody Funderburk allowed a three-run homer to Goodman after failing to put him away on a 1-2 count, and the loss dropped Minnesota to 39-45 in the AL Central.
Saturday's collapse came one night after the bullpen nearly blew a seven-run lead in a game the Twins barely survived on a walk-off single from Royce Lewis.
Those back-to-back outings tell the full story of a relief unit that has posted a 7.34 ERA in June with no signs of turning things around.
Beyond the few arms Shelton trusts like Yoendrys Gómez and Andrew Morris, every current bullpen arm carries an ERA of 4.87 or worse, and the front office has already cycled through multiple relievers like Justin Topa, Luis García, and Justin Lawrence without finding the right fit.
The Offense Can Only Do So Much
The bullpen situation is even more painful because the Twins' offense has been one of the better lineups in the American League.
Byron Buxton has been carrying the middle of the order with 25 home runs, and the lineup has done enough to keep Minnesota in games on most nights.
"We have to find consistency in games we're down 3-1, 4-1 and keeping that close," Shelton said, "because our offense will continue to do things."
That is exactly the problem.
The Twins can rally in close games, but the bullpen keeps turning tight deficits into blowouts before the bats ever get a chance.
With potential reinforcements like Cole Sands and Kendry Rojas still weeks away, Shelton does not have many options outside of hoping somebody in the current group figures it out.
Why This Problem Is Not Going Away
The harder truth is that the bullpen has been a known weakness since the start of the season, and their approach of shuffling arms in and out has not produced a reliable group.
Now, Anthony Banda could be on the shelf after leaving Sunday's game with an injury to his side, leaving even more questions.
Eleven different pitchers have recorded a save this year, and there are still no defined roles for the late innings.
For a team trying to stay in the wild card race, the margin for error is shrinking fast with the trade deadline approaching.
Unless someone steps up soon, the Twins' strong offense is going to keep being wasted on nights where the bullpen cannot keep things close enough for a comeback.
