CLEVELAND — Three extras from the Twins' fifth consecutive victory over the Indians:
Nobody is quite certain why Fernando Romero hasn't been as effective in June as he was in May. And that apparently includes Romero.
"Not really," Romero answered when asked if he can detect a difference between his first five starts, when he compiled a 1.88 ERA and a 9.11 strikeout-per-nine-innings rate, and his last four, which have totaled an 8.10 ERA and a 5.95 strikeout rate. "Things happen in the game. If you throw the ball over the plate, they might hit it or not. That just happens."
Twins manager Paul Molitor said he the difference might not be as drastic as it seems.
"Gosh, there's still a lot to like. The way that he's been able to get the ball on the ground pretty consisistenly, especially the way he can get in on righties," Molitor said. "His changeup has been pretty good. Slider was so-so today. He's going to need all three pitches. He's not going to blow people away up here and I think he knows that. He's got to pitch. But he's learning."
If there is anything different, Molitor said, it might be that slider. "I don't think his slider has been as good here, in the short term. I don't even think he threw very many early today," he said. "That's a pitch he can use maybe to up that [strikeout rate] a little bit."
He considered sending Romero out for the fifth inning, but decided against it. "Romero was OK in terms of strikes and things like that. He was having trouble with the lefties, they were getting some good swings. Just didn't seem like he could keep the ball in on them like he was trying to," Molitor said. "My gut told me it was time to turn it over."
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