4 years agoMinnesota Twins starting pitcher Michael Pineda was charged with the loss in Saturday's 6-2 defeat at the hands of the Pirates. Pineda pitched 4 1/3 innings, allowing five runs, four earned, on six hits while striking out five batters compared to one walk. The 32-year-old worked a 1-2-3 inning in the first but had to labor through a 26-pitch second inning that saw him allow three runs on three hits, though he didn't get much help from his defense in the frame. Pineda then missed with a pair of fastballs in the fifth inning as he surrendered back-to-back homers. His velocity was slightly down- and his normally superb command wasn't there- though he hadn't pitched since April 15, which could have affected him slightly. Pineda will look to bounce back in his next start scheduled for April 30 against the Royals.--Tim Capurso
Source: ESPN