Ryan has been a rollercoaster so far.
The Minnesota Twins had a chance to turn a frustrating night into something useful Thursday, and for a few minutes in the eighth inning, it looked like they might escape New York with a needed win.
Minnesota fell 10-8 to the Mets, dropped the series and lost for the sixth time in seven games.
Ryan Jeffers tied it with a grand slam in the eighth, but the Mets answered when Bo Bichette hit a three-run double.
Ryan Still Searching
Joe Ryan’s night became the biggest issue because Minnesota needed stability after a rough stretch, and the right-hander could not give them enough of it.
He allowed seven runs, four earned, over five innings, and while the defense did not help him, Ryan did not sound like someone ready to hide behind that after the game.
“I haven't felt like myself really the whole year,” said Ryan, who experienced an abbreviated Spring Training due to a minor back injury. “The results have been good. That's good game-calling. The execution has been higher [previously] than tonight. Compared to how I was feeling the last couple of years, I just feel a little out of sequence. That's the frustrating part, is physically, I feel pretty good. Sequencing-wise, I'm just trying to figure that out still.”
That quote explains why the outing felt a little more concerning than one bad box score.
Ryan has still given Minnesota enough good results to avoid bigger panic, but the Twins need him to feel connected with his delivery again because this team does not have much margin right now.
Missed Chances Pile Up
Derek Shelton had already talked about missed opportunities after the previous loss in the series, and the same theme showed up again.
The Minnesota Twins had traffic, late life and enough offense to make the Mets uncomfortable, but they still could not finish the game.
Austin Martin and Brooks Lee each went 3-for-4, while Jeffers gave Minnesota the late swing it needed.
Those are real positives during a week when the Twins have looked stuck, but they do not carry as much weight when the final innings keep slipping away.
The next series has to be about cleaner defense, better run-scoring at-bats and more defined bullpen lanes.
Shelton can keep leaning on process over six months, and that matters, but the Twins also need results before this stretch starts shaping the mood of the season.
A grand slam in the eighth inning should have changed the night, but the Mets punched back immediately and left the Twins with another frustrating finish.
The Twins lineup can create chances, and the Twins pitching staff has enough talent to stabilize, but the pieces have to meet in the same game.
Until that happens, losses like Thursday will keep feeling less like one bad night and more like a warning.