Twins' Dallas Keuchel makes pitch to start again with brilliant relief of Bailey Ober

Long before they completed a comeback from five runs down to win a 13-inning game and a series against the Texas Rangers, the Twins experimented with their starting pitching.

They started Bailey Ober and brought in Dallas Keuchel in relief.

The strategy worked, in a backwards sort of way, and gave the Twins reason to reconsider their approach as they lean toward the finish line in the AL Central race.

Ober pitched four innings Sunday in the Twins' 7-6 victory at Target Field and gave up five runs.

Keuchel was signed to a minor league deal to provide starting pitching depth. Sunday, he pitched five shutout innings, extending his streak of shutout innings to 11 ⅓.

Ober is a major part of the Twins' future. He has pitched 122 ⅓ innings in the majors this season, plus 17 ⅔ in the minors. His previous career high in professional innings pitched came in 2021, when he had 109.

He should be tired, and he's pitching like he's tired, which is why Keuchel should replace him in the rotation.

Here are Ober's monthly ERAs: 1.59, 3.10, 3.38, 3.72 and 4.50.

"It was just one of those days," Ober said of his struggles Sunday.

"Those days" have been the norm lately, simply because it's hard to get big league hitters out when you're fatigued.

Sunday, Ober gave up one run in his first three innings, then gave up four runs on Jonah Heim's grand slam in the fourth. Keuchel replaced him to start the fifth and pitched brilliantly, despite his unfamiliarity with life as a reliever.

Keuchel's ability to flummox a talented Rangers lineup led to one of the most stirring and exhausting victories of the season.

If the Twins make the postseason — which is a 95.9% probability according to ESPN's analysis — they will probably need Ober to be prepared to pitch out of the bullpen. Why not give him a break now, so his arm will be fresh, and allow him to acclimate to that role?

Right now, Keuchel is the better starting pitcher. Start Keuchel, expect him to pitch five or six quality innings, and then allow Ober to pitch two or three innings. Together, they can save wear and tear on the Twins' primary relievers.

This will require diplomacy. Ober was upset when he wasn't given a spot in the rotation coming out of spring training. That didn't keep him from pitching well once given the chance.

"It's drawn up that way for a lot of different reasons," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said of the Ober-Keuchel plan. "One of them is to help out the bullpen, who have thrown a ton of innings, and have been working really hard."

The Twins told Ober that he would be asked to pitch fewer innings as a starter. Keuchel, who views himself as a starter, was told that he can help as a reliever.

"It was kind of talked about the last three or four days, that there would be three or four different scenarios," Keuchel said. "So, I mean, do I like to pitch in relief, not really, but at the same time I want to win and I kind of made that clear."

The Twins have won three of the four games in which Keuchel has pitched. He's one of the many reasons they'll begin a three-game series with Cleveland holding a six-game lead in the division.

With the Twins' run production soaring, and their rotation still excelling, their newest cause for concern is bullpen depth and their eighth-inning options. Griffin Jax has an 8.68 ERA this month. Caleb Thielbar is their only reliable lefty. Brock Stewart may not return until mid-to-late September, if he returns at all.

If Keuchel is capable of giving the Twins five or six quality innings, he should be starting, and the Twins have no reason not to squeeze every quality pitch they can out of his arm.

Ober should look toward the future: a September of relative rest, followed by a chance to pitch important innings in October.