Reusse: A Saturday sure thing at the ballyard? Don’t bet on it

The actual attendees in an announced crowd of 23,045 for Saturday's ballgame at Target Field must have been facing a true dilemma as baseball's speed-up rules suffered a rare defeat.

The dilemma for fans was to whether there was more pain emanating from their eyes in watching the hometown Twins, or in their bones, from absorbing a 35-degree temperature that felt like 25 (as of 3 p.m.) during the 3-hour, 9-minute ordeal.

The Twins had given away a well-pitched game to the lowly Washington Nationals on Friday night, when reliever Griffin Jax and his fielders triggered a winning two-run rally in the eighth — 3-2, visitors.

The oddsmakers strongly favored the Twins to get even in Game 2. Pablo López had been anointed as an official ace one week ago when his agent and the team negotiated a four-year, $72 million extension in a concourse at Yankee Stadium.

On Saturday, he was taking on journeyman Chad Kuhl and his 8.59 ERA in three previous 2023 starts.

The Twins were -235 in the betting line, meaning you had to risk $235 for every $100 you wanted to make riding the López wave to prosperity.

Not this time. Making his fifth Twins start, López was terrible — particularly considering the quality of lineup he was facing. He allowed 12 baserunners and five runs in four innings.

There seemed to be a ready-made excuse for López: As a Venezuelan and a career Miami Marlin, he lacked feel on his pitches in such frigid conditions. López and manager Rocco Baldelli declined to take that, crediting Nationals hitters with a "good approach."

Simeon Woods Richardson, promoted from St. Paul not on merit but on potential need for long relief, performed the feat of giving up a three-run homer to C.J. Abrams, young shortstop and noted slap hitter.

The final was 10-4 Nationals, providing their first series victory in seven played in 2023.

The Twins now have lost six of seven and are dealing with a significant problem: playing lousy baseball.

Perhaps they were emotionally damaged last weekend in the Bronx when Yankees starter Domingo Germán got away with cheating — the start of the swoon from 10-4 to the current 11-10.

As it turned out, the Yankees paid no price with Germán's sticky right hand, although the Mets' Max Scherzer did a few days later at Dodger Stadium. Scherzer's use of the same excuse — "It's rosin" — fell flat, and he's now serving a 10-game suspension.

You could find overamped optimism from alleged neutral sources for this Twins team as Opening Day approached, based largely on the potential of a starting rotation of López, Joe Ryan, Sonny Gray, Tyler Mahle and Kenta Maeda.

When my prediction of 80-82 made it to Twitter (yes, that was me, although never an owner of a blue check), one outraged commenter went so far as to suggest this would be the best rotation in Twins history.

I could find a few, and will just start with Dave Boswell (222⅔ innings), Dean Chance (283⅔), Jim Kaat (263⅓) and Jim Merritt (227⅔), with future Cy Young Award winner Jim Perry (130⅔) as the spot starter, in the Great Race of 1967.

Before Saturday's embarrassment, López had been excellent, joining Ryan and Gray in that category. Mahle also has been an asset, while Maeda is not throwing close to the same stuff with the same command as he did before the 2021 elbow surgery.

Bailey Ober is being recalled to pitch Sunday's series finale, pushing the rest of the rotation back a day — including Maeda, who will get an extra day's rest mostly as an arm refresher, not due to a line drive off his ankle in Boston. Ober might stay if he's the improvement over Maeda some suspect.

So, true, these Twins were never going to fail to contend due to the rotation (barring injuries). And the bullpen remains good at the top, even with Jax being vulnerable lately.

The minor issue is that despite claims of improved fielding (referred to as "defense" by some) … it's exceptional only at shortstop with Carlos Correa, and that's offset to a degree with Jose Miranda next to him at third.

This is a Grade C team in the field. And it's been below that with baserunning. Which leaves the major issue identified before Opening Day:

They don't hit (.228 average), they don't slug (.379) and they don't get on base (.298).

Add it up … right around .500, which they are now.