Gray’s 17th quality start great sign as Twins prep for playoffs

MINNEAPOLIS -- It would figure that the Twins’ lineup would struggle to put up runs with a quick turnaround for a day game since they’d celebrated hard, late into the night, after clinching the American League Central.

But it didn’t make the pitching any less stingy -- and perhaps, come October, that’s what could make this Minnesota team different from those that came before.

Maybe 14 hours after Sonny Gray, clad in cutoff jean shorts, surveyed the chaos in the home clubhouse from the periphery of the celebration, the veteran right-hander tossed six innings of one-run ball in his penultimate tune-up for the postseason as part of a 1-0 loss to the Angels on Saturday afternoon at Target Field.

• Games remaining (7): vs. LAA (1), vs. OAK (3), at COL (3)
• Standings update: The Twins (82-73) have clinched the American League Central and currently hold the AL’s No. 3 seed, meaning they would host a best-of-three Wild Card Series vs. the final Wild Card entrant starting on Oct. 3. Minnesota trails No. 2 seed Texas (86-68 after Saturday night's win) by 4 1/2 games -- though it’s complicated because of the tight AL West race.
• Elimination number: 5 (for AL’s No. 2 seed)

Two starts from now, Gray appears likely to line up behind Pablo López as the Twins’ Game 2 starter in the postseason rotation -- and if they can stay healthy until then, they’ll put Minnesota in as good of a position to win as any one-two starting punch the club has had in recent history.

“​​Our starters have been awesome,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “[López], Sonny and the rest of the guys, they’ve really kind of been the framework of which we’ve built our club. And then other guys have just stepped right into different parts of the team and produced, and we’ve needed it all. Those guys have been there from the start.”

While allowing only a Jo Adell solo homer across six frames, Gray struck out eight without issuing a walk for his 17th quality start of the season, his most since logging 17 for the Reds in 2019. López’s six innings of three-run ball on Friday gave him 20 quality starts this season -- and only 2019 José Berríos had more in a season among Twins pitchers in the last two decades.

Plenty has already been written about how López has soared past his career bests across the board -- in both effectiveness and longevity -- but alongside him, Gray has also shown off his best form since he earned National League Cy Young Award votes in 2019.

Gray’s latest start took him to 180 innings overall this season, his most since 2015. His 179 strikeouts are already the third-highest total of his 11-season career, and with four more, he’ll reach his total from the ‘14 season as well. His ‘22 season for the Twins also saw an impressive 3.08 ERA -- but injuries held him to 119 2/3 innings.

Gray knew that needed to get better.

“Going into the offseason, and toward the end of last season, it was like, ‘You know what? I know how to go out and throw 130 innings, and have an ERA somewhere in the mid to low threes,’” Gray said. “I know how to do that. I can do that like clockwork. … It wasn’t good enough for me.”

After his offseason work, Gray’s workload has indeed ballooned -- and at the end of it, he’s pitching better than ever, with five earned runs allowed in 23 September innings, good for a 1.96 ERA with 23 strikeouts and three walks. He appears secure for a top-three finish in the AL Cy Young voting, and Gray is still locked in battle with Gerrit Cole for the AL’s ERA crown.

The real strength of the rotation is in how it truly goes five deep this year, unlike in 2020 (with Kenta Maeda, José Berríos and perhaps Michael Pineda as trustworthy arms) or in ‘19, when rookie Randy Dobnak started Game 2 at Yankee Stadium.

But it starts at the top with López and Gray setting the tone in the postseason.

“Just something that I've really, really wanted to get back to,” Gray said. “I've really wanted to get back to that, so I look forward to the opportunity, knowing that you're going to get another opportunity to do that.”

Much of the onus to snap Minnesota’s record 18-game playoff losing streak -- surely set to become a big talking point in the coming days -- will fall on the Twins’ top two starters. López and Gray look up to the task.

“Ever since I became a Twin, I’ve read about it, I’ve heard about it,” López said. “The 2023 Twins were built differently. We’re a different breed. We’re going to go out there and show everyone what we can do when we’re on the field.

“We can take on anyone. We’ve got arms to get people out. We’ve got the offense to put runs on the board, so it’s going to be fun.”