It's no secret starting pitching has been the Achilles' heel for the Minnesota Twins through the first month of the season.
Entering Tuesday's game against the Angels, the Twins' rotation had an ERA of 6.75, easily the worst in all of baseball. Minnesota's starters had pitched just 117 1/3 innings in 22 games, third-fewest in the majors.
A direct result of the rotation's struggles has been an overworked bullpen. Minnesota's relievers have thrown 72 2/3 innings — only five bullpens in baseball have worked more innings.
"I wouldn't say taxed," right-hander Alex Burnett, whose 12 2/3 innings through Monday is most among Twins relievers, said. "We're throwing quite a bit, but not taxed. We've all been throwing really well down there. I think we're all feeling pretty good right now.”
Minnesota's bullpen was used quite a bit in April, but the relievers' numbers haven't been as bad as you might expect.
Their 3.84 ERA is in the middle of the pack in the majors. Opponents are hitting .242 against the relievers; only 12 bullpens have lower opponent batting averages. And Twins relievers have a WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched) of 1.20, seventh-best in baseball thanks to just 21 walks.
So as Minnesota's starters have continuously exited games after just four or five innings, the Twins have had faith in their bullpen — which was a unit of many unknowns and question marks this spring.
"We've got a good group of guys down there. Since Day 1 of spring training, it's been a pretty good group," right-hander Jared Burton said. "We all kind of click and jell down there and all root for each other. That's important.”
And they're rooting for the starters, it's been tough to see the rotation struggle. Minnesota's relievers know the starters are capable of more and have faith in a turnaround.
"They've all had success and they all work hard," left-hander Glen Perkins said of the starters. "That's the hardest thing. When you see how hard a guy works and then it doesn't happen for him on the field that day, it's hard to watch. You feel for him. So hopefully with their hard work, they'll keep improving and give us a break. But we're doing alright.”
Perkins emerged as a reliable set-up man last season with the Twins, when he posted a 2.48 ERA with 65 strikeouts and 21 walks in 61 2/3 innings. He was named Minnesota's Pitcher of the Year and signed a contract extension this spring.
Earlier this month Perkins was diagnosed with a forearm injury and missed a few games, but has since allowed just one earned run in four innings, including four strikeouts.
"I feel good. I got a couple days there with my forearm and kind of let that calm down,"Perkins said late last week. "That's good. I'm feeling good and ready for the next time I get to go out there.”
While Perkins has been the go-to left-handed arm in the eighth inning to set up closer Matt Capps, Minnesota has also leaned on Burton as a right-handed option out of the pen in the late innings. Burton, acquired this offseason after spending five years with the Reds, has been rock solid in his last eight appearances. Over his last 8 1/3 innings, Burton has not allowed a hit and has struck out eight and walked just two in that time.
With a one-inning outing Monday against Los Angeles, Burton has now pitched 10 innings for the Twins this season, which exceeds the combined innings (eight) that he pitched in the majors in 2010 and 2011 due to injuries. Burton missed time in 2010 with a thyroid problem that had him feeling "worn out"constantly. As a result, he appeared in just four games (3 1/3 innings) with Cincinnati. A year later, he injured his shoulder at the end of spring training and had surgery. He finished the season with only 4 2/3 innings with the Reds and 13 innings at Triple-A Louisville.
But Burton is healthy now for the first time in years and has been one of the Twins' most effective relievers through the first month.
"Staying on the field has really been the only thing that I need to do,"Burton said. "I've been successful here and I know what I can do. It's just a matter of staying on the field. It's good to get off to a good start.”
For Minnesota to get back on track after a slow start, the starting pitchers will need to step up.
In the meantime, however, the bullpen will continue to eat up innings and root for the starters to pitch up to their potential.
"It's pretty obvious the starters aren't doing as well as they'd hope, but that's just how it is,"Burton said. "We've picked up the slack and hopefully they'll start turning in some better starts and pick up a little bit more slack.”
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