ANAHEIM, Calif. — Kyle Gibson’s career-best four-game winning streak was snapped Tuesday by the Angels, as his Minnesota Twins were routed 7-0.
Gibson labored through five-plus innings in his second-half debut, allowing a season-high six runs on 10 hits and one walk.
According to the Greenfield-Central graduate, he lacked the control that marked his first-half success.
“I didn’t have my best stuff,” said Gibson, who also tallied six strikeouts. “The pitch I needed the most was my glove-side fastball. It had been the pitch the last couple weeks that had been pretty consistent for me and allowed me to work off that. So not having that was tough. I was in and out with command, and sometimes I was just missing. It wasn’t my sharpest, but I also had a chance to get out of that inning and give the team a chance to come back, but I just didn’t get it done.”
Twins manager Paul Molitor concurred. He also said his pitcher didn’t get a lot of help from his defense.
“Gibby pitched OK and battled through what probably wasn’t his best stuff, but we just didn’t make plays,” Molitor said in an interview with MLB.com. “We were playing a hot team. When you give a team more opportunities, they capitalize on it, and they certainly did all night long.”
Gibson, though, was partially responsible for the bad defense that ruined his outing, as one of his mistakes made possible a five-run Angels inning.
The score was 2-0 in the sixth inning when Gibson fouled up a potential double-play comebacker by Erick Aybar with a poor throw to shortstop Eduardo Escobar after a leadoff infield single by Albert Pujols.
Everyone was safe, the play was scored a fielder’s choice, and Chris Iannetta capped the outburst with a three-run homer off Blaine Boyer. Gibson faced four batters that inning and gave up an RBI single to David Freese before C.J. Cron chased him with another single.
“I got it right back to me, and I knew exactly who was covering,” Gibson said. “I knew where Escobar was, and that to get a double play I had to get rid of it. I tried to throw over the base, but it sailed to the right on me.”
The Twins lost their third straight after a 7-1 stretch, slipping a season-worst 6.5 games behind first-place Kansas City in the AL Central. Gibson (8-7) absorbed his first loss since June 21 after going 4-0 with 1.30 ERA in his previous four starts.
Despite the setback, Gibson said he and his Twins teammates have not lost hope.
“We’re still really confident,” Gibson said to MLB.com. “We have a really good team in here. I think we would’ve had a chance to get into their bullpen if I just get that double play there (in the sixth inning) and get the one out. It would’ve been a 2-0 game most likely. We were still in it outside of that one inning.”
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The Minnesota Twins’ Kyle Gibson pitched 5.0 innings Tuesday, surrendering six runs against the Los Angeles Angels. The Greenfield-Central graduate’s pitching line against the Orioles as well as for the season:
GM/YR;IP;H;R;ER;BB;SO;HR;ERA;W-L
Tuesday;5.0;10;6;6;1;6;0;10.08;0-1
Season;118.2;112;46;42;37;84;11;3.19;8-7
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