Odorizzi takes 'big step' in 2nd start vs. KC

MINNEAPOLIS -- When Jake Odorizzi heard the crack of the bat, he immediately punched his glove and yelled out. He didn’t need to turn around to know that Maikel Franco had punished his final pitch of the afternoon for a two-run homer.

It didn’t end up mattering. That one pitch was a mistake, to be sure, but the Twins still beat the Royals, 4-2, in a seven-inning first half of a Saturday doubleheader at Target Field. More importantly, Odorizzi flashed back to his dominant 2019 form right up until that final pitch following a rough season debut last weekend, a needed step in shoring up the front end of Minnesota’s injury-depleted starting rotation.

• Box score

After issuing a pair of walks in three wild innings in Kansas City, Odorizzi had his feel back against those same Royals at Target Field on Saturday. The results followed.

“I've still got a little ways to go,” Odorizzi said. “Today was definitely a big step in the right direction. I felt relatively normal. A few things to iron out a little bit, but relatively speaking, I think today was a very positive step and there's still a little work to be done, but I definitely felt more like my last year's self.”

The veteran right-hander retired the first 11 batters he faced until Salvador Perez singled to center with two outs in the fourth inning, when Odorizzi’s command started to falter. He went back out for a fifth inning and allowed a high double down the right-field line to Ryan McBroom before Franco’s homer chased him after 79 pitches in four-plus frames.

“As a competitor, I'm frustrated just because my last pitch of the day was my worst one at the worst time and had the worst result,” Odorizzi said. “But I think that mentally, after a little time goes by, I'll realize out of however many pitches I had today, one was bad and the other ones were pretty darn good.”

Odorizzi didn’t issue a walk as he fanned six batters, including four on his bread-and-butter fastball, and navigated rather economical innings early in the game as he continued his buildup following a late start to the season due to a right intercostal strain suffered late in Summer Camp.

He felt his fastball had much better life and felt better about his command of his cutter and slider, which he differentiated effectively and used to generate one whiff apiece. He didn't allow a batted ball in excess of 87 mph until the fourth inning.

“The first game, I felt good, but I just had no command,” Odorizzi said. “Today, I had much better command of just about everything. Obviously, there's one pitch I'd like back, but before that, the curveball was really sharp today and located well.”

Nelson Cruz crushed a two-run blast a Statcast-projected 448 feet to left field in the third to open scoring, and a Byron Buxton sacrifice fly and Eddie Rosario RBI double tacked on late insurance runs to give the Twins their margin of victory.

It’s important for the Twins to get Odorizzi right, considering the state of their starters. The veteran right-hander was expected to accompany José Berríos atop the rotation after posting a 3.51 ERA and a career-high 178 strikeouts last season.

Berríos, who started Game 2 of the doubleheader, was still searching for his command. Homer Bailey has only recently started building back up from a hiatus due to right biceps tendinitis. Rich Hill also has missed more than two weeks with shoulder fatigue, though the veteran left-hander is expected to return during this homestand.

In the meantime, Kenta Maeda and Randy Dobnak have needed to step up as unexpected rotation anchors, alongside an assortment of spot starts and bullpen games to fill the gaps. If Odorizzi can build on this start and maintain this form, it would go a long way to continue stabilizing the Twins’ pitching force.

That doesn’t mean Odorizzi is rushing back, though.

“I feel like if you rush too much, you might get right back into the injured group, so for me, it’s just taking those steps and adding to a pitch count each time I get out there,” Odorizzi said. “We’ve seen a lot of injuries backfire on people, especially the starting-pitching group, so it’s best just to take your time, and that’s what I’m doing right now.

“I feel great. It’s just adding each outing and getting back to normalcy, so a big step towards that today. Still some work to do, but encouraging stuff, and yeah, we’ll build on it.”