If you’ve been enjoying a relatively smooth spring training, yesterday was a bit of a reality check. For the first time in a while, it was the Atlanta Braves taking the lumps, and the Minnesota Twins were more than happy to dish them out.
This wasn’t one of those crisp, clean, well-executed games you love to see in March. It was more of a grind, filled with defensive miscues, shaky pitching, and an offense that just couldn’t quite cash in when it mattered.
López Battles Through a Tough Outing
Reynaldo López took the mound, looking to stretch himself out and get his pitch count up, and, well, he did that. Nearly 60 pitches and into the fourth inning? Check.
Everything else? Not exactly a highlight reel. The outing started promisingly with a quick 1-2-3 first inning, but things took a turn in the second when Ty France led off with a single.
A little bit of defensive sloppiness later, France found himself on third. Then after a nice moment from catcher Drake Baldwin—who threw out Harrison Bader attempting to steal—López undid that by firing a wild pitch that let France waltz home. Just like that, the Twins were on the board.
López’s troubles continued in the third, with DaShawn Keirsey Jr. singling to start the inning, followed by a walk to Jeferson Morales. Ryan Jeffers knocked in another run with a single, and the Twins were rolling.
The fourth inning? More of the same. Ty France doubled to start the frame, Bader singled him home, and the defensive woes kicked in again when Christian Cairo’s errant throw allowed two more runs to score.
That was it for López, who got the hook after the mistake. It’s not an ideal outing, but with a few weeks left before Opening Day, there’s still time to tighten things up.
Twins’ Bats Stay Hot Against Atlanta’s Bullpen
Daysbel Hernández came in to put out the fire in the fourth but found himself in trouble in the fifth.
Ryan Jeffers and Willi Castro set the table with a single and a double. Then Minnesota tacked on two more runs via a productive out from France and an RBI single from Royce Lewis. By the time the dust settled, the Twins had put up seven runs—plenty to lock down a win.
On the bright side, Jake Diekman provided a solid effort, tossing 1.1 scoreless innings with three strikeouts. So, no, not every Braves pitcher got rocked today.
Braves’ Offense Shows Signs of Life But Lacks Firepower
Regarding the offense, the Braves had 11 hits but just one run to show for it. That’s baseball sometimes. Baldwin, who continues to impress, picked up two more hits before exiting in the sixth.
Bryan De La Cruz, Garrett Cooper, Eli White, Cal Conley, Jake Marisnick, and Carlos D. Rodriguez all chipped in with base knocks, but none were able to turn those into runs.
The lone offensive fireworks? That came courtesy of Jarred Kelenic. He got a 91-mph fastball from Bailey Ober in the third and did not miss. He sent a laser out to right-center at 111 mph off the bat, a no-doubt shot that accounted for Atlanta’s only run of the game.
So, was this a game to remember? Not exactly. But even in a loss, there are takeaways—plenty of hits, a little pop from Kelenic, and some learning experiences on the mound.
Spring training is about ironing out the wrinkles, and if today showed anything, it’s that there are still a few that need to be smoothed out before the games start to count.
