Perfect Perkins: 'Automatic' Twins closer on pace for another All-Star year
Minnesota Twins fans have been fortunate enough for their team to have some solid closers over the years.
Joe Nathan, Rick Aguilera, Eddie Guardado and Jeff Reardon all had All-Star seasons during their time in Twins uniforms. So, too, of course, has current Minnesota closer Glen Perkins. The Stillwater, Minn., native pitched in each of the last two All-Star Games, including last year's at his home park in front of his hometown fans.
Though this year's midsummer classic is still nearly two months away, Perkins is pitching as if he's determined to make his third straight All-Star Game.
Perkins picked up his major-league leading 14th save of the season Tuesday in Pittsburgh. Four others have 13 saves, but Perkins stands alone at the top. He has yet to blow a save, too, going a perfect 14-for-14 in save opportunities. During Minnesota's last homestand he picked up his 100th career save, becoming just the sixth closer in Twins history to achieve that feat.
Yet for as good as Perkins has been so far in 2015, he's not taking much individual credit.
"The opportunities I've had means we're winning games," Perkins said recently. "We've been playing well. . . . It's more about them scoring more runs."
It's indeed accurate that Minnesota's offense has given Perkins and the rest of the Twins pitchers a lift. They currently rank sixth in all of baseball in runs scored with 179. That's afforded Perkins more opportunities to close out games with a save on the line, as was the case Tuesday at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, where Perkins struck out two batters to shut the door on Minnesota's 8-5 win.
Perkins is slightly ahead of last year's saves pace. He picked up save No. 14 on May 21 of last season, which happened to be the Twins' 44th game. Tuesday's save -- No. 14 in 2015 -- came in Minnesota's 39th game of 2015.
"He's a stud. He's automatic. He's great," fellow Twins reliever Blaine Boyer said of Perkins. "He's been doing it for a while now. He's got a great routine. If you watch his routine, he knows exactly what he's going to do and everything is calculated and it's really, really fun. It's fun to be a fellow bullpen mate of his."
New Twins manager Paul Molitor is still trying to figure out exactly how often he can -- and should -- use his closer. That choice has been a bit tough simply because Minnesota has been in position to win a lot of games already in the first two months of the year. But Molitor knows he can't overuse Perkins early and possibly lead to him breaking down later in the year.
Perkins pitched three straight days back in mid-April, earning two saves and keeping the third game tied in the ninth inning. Since then he's pitched on back-to-back days on a total of four occasions. With an off day this past Monday and another Thursday, there's little doubt Molitor will turn to Perkins in Wednesday's game if the Twins have a chance to close out the Pirates once again.
"I'm going to go with how he tells me and when he's able," Molitor said. "I know there might be a time when he might say he's able and I might decide not to just because I think we're pushing him too much. I didn't have to worry about that a lot the first 40 games. . . . I've been around closers that can go nine, 10 days in a row. I don't think that's probably good for someone to allow one to try to do that."
The save total for Perkins is far from the only impressive numbers he's put up this year. His 1.47 ERA, though probably not sustainable, would be the lowest of his career. He's surrendered just one home run -- and only three runs total -- in 18 1/3 innings.
Perhaps most impressively, Perkins has yet to issue a walk after facing 71 batters. His 18 1/3 innings currently mark the longest active streak in the majors without allowing a walk to start the season, yet it's still a far cry from Mark Eichhorn's all-time record of 40 1/3 innings.
"I've always tried to throw the ball in the strike zone," Perkins said.
Perkins has already surpassed Al Worthington and Firpo Marberry on the franchise's all-time saves list. With two more saves, Perkins will tie Jeff Reardon for fifth all time with 104. Still within Perkins' sights on that list for 2015 is Guardado, who now happens to be Perkins' bullpen coach. Guardado finished his Twins career with 116, 14 more than Perkins currently has.
Of close, no closer is perfect, although Perkins has been darn near it so far in 2015.
"I will undoubtedly blow four this year," Perkins said. "Hopefully less."
FOX Sports North's Jamie Hersch contributed to this report.
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