Given all the injuries the Twins have in the outfield, that area — cobbled together from Triple-A call-ups — would seem to be a weakness.
Fast start paces Twins to 6-5 victory over Kansas City
Larnach, Refsnyder, Kirilloff contribute to win.
May 30, 2021 at 4:20AM
Instead, those players have often been one of the few bursts of light in an otherwise murky season. The Twins' 6-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday was one example of that phenomenon.
The Twins had just had their season-long four-game winning streak stopped the night before, with predictable bullpen bungles and clutch-hitting collapses.
But instead of coming into Saturday's matinee at Target Field in front of 18,444 fans sluggish and demoralized, the Twins' newest additions secured the bounce back.
Trevor Larnach and Rob Refsnyder accounted for half of the team's runs scored while Alex Kirilloff yet again showed his versatility, moving from first base to right field after Max Kepler left the game injured in the second inning.
"I don't take for granted any day I'm in the lineup," said Refsnyder, pointing to his fill-in status in center field, a position he had never played at the MLB level before recent weeks.
Refsnyder, 30, isn't even a top-three choice to play center field, but injuries to Byron Buxton and Kepler have forced that issue. Also, Jake Cave went to the 60-day injured list with a back injury, leaving the outfield vulnerable.
So most games now, Refsnyder trots out to the middle of the outfield, with Larnach and Kirilloff flanking him. All have made solid defensive plays from their positions, including Refsnyder making "SportsCenter's" Top Ten for a diving-face-plant catch this past weekend in Cleveland.
Offensively, though, is where this trio has buoyed the team. Larnach hit a solo home run in the second inning and has reached base in eight of the past nine games. Refsnyder hit two RBI singles, one in the fourth and one in the eighth that ended up providing the margin of victory after Kansas City's two-run comeback scare in the top of the ninth.
Taylor Rogers recovered from that to earn the save and ensure starter J.A. Happ's third win. Happ allowed three hits and two earned runs, including one home run, in five innings. The Twins improved to 21-30 and are 10 games back in the American League Central.
"Refsnyder has kind of been a little bit of a savior right here," manager Rocco Baldelli said. "We know who we have in Kirilloff and in Larnach and in guys we know have a ton of ability, and we think are going to be really good major league players going forward. …
"But we've certainly needed someone to come in and step in in a time of desperate need to go out there and play every day in center field. I mean, he's played a good center field, he's swung the bat great, he's come in in big spots, driven in runs. He's really done everything."
In some ways, each of those three has exceeded expectations. Refsnyder with his veteran reliability. Kirilloff with his perseverance after a wrist injury could have ended his season. And Larnach with his studiousness, spending extra time working with Twins greats Justin Morneau and Torii Hunter on his hitting.
"I've felt really comfortable. It was just a matter of staying loose and doing what I want to do physically with the bat," Larnach said.
"This game keeps being nice to me, and it can be pretty unforgiving. I'm going to keep doing my thing, sticking with my process.
"And just trying to help this team out the best I can."
Robust competition is likely for righthander Roki Sasaki, whose agent suggests a “smaller, midmarket” team might be a good route to take, but the Los Angeles Dodgers are said to be the favorites to land him.
