Postgame: Smeltzer's 5 strong innings give bullpen much-needed rest

An overworked Twins bullpen got a day off on Wednesday, and it involved sacrifice on the part of a couple of other pitchers.

Rocco Baldelli went to the bullpen 29 times during the first eight games of the Twins' 3-6 homestand, with increasingly shaky results. The relief corps allowed 32 runs over those eight games, counting the trio that Ehire Adrianza gave up, and the manager was determined to take some of the heat off.

Jake Odorizzi and Devin Smeltzer did the rest.

Odorizzi only pitched four innings during the Twins' 10-7 loss, which wasn't what the Twins had in mind, but it became clear quickly that he didn't have an answer for the Yankees. But even after giving up six runs in the second and third innings, he was eager to keep pitching, with lightening the load in mind.

"I was just going to keep going. If I was going to throw 130 pitches, I would have done it," Odorizzi said. "It was one of those points where, it already sucks, the worst outing of my career — might as well save pitches for guys in the bullpen. I'll just stay out there and wear it."

He didn't have to, though, because the Twins had summoned Smeltzer from Rochester earlier in the day for just this purpose. The lefthander pitched the final five innings, and he was so good, allowing only one run, that the Twins had an opportunity to rally.

"I felt great. I got asked to come up and help the bullpen out, and I was joking before the game [that] if they asked me to come up and play right field because that's what they needed, I'd do it," Smeltzer said. "I'll do anything to help the team win. I came out and put in everything I've got."

Trouble is, after throwing 63 pitches, he's probably not available for two and perhaps three days. Given the shaky state of the bullpen, not to mention the fact that Smeltzer is a starting pitcher in Triple-A (and perhaps in the Twins' future), that much help could get him returned to Rochester, in order to bring up a fresher arm.

The Twins made no moves after the game, however, and perhaps they're confident that they've gotten enough rest to weather whatever comes next. But Derek Falvey said before the game that Smeltzer's callup might be just temporary.

"We'll take that day-to-day. Obviously next week is the [trade] deadline, and there could be some decisions between now and then," Falvey said. "After that, we'll have to make some decisions about what's best going forward" for starters like Smeltzer, Kohl Stewart and Lewis Thorpe. "Is it staying lengthened out? Is it being a starter for us in a depth rose, or is it continuing to pitch up here and being a factor as we go into August and September?"

As for Odorizzi, he said he had trouble commanding the top of the zone, but doesn't believe it will be a problem as the season goes on.

"There were just a lot of misses that were above the zone, whereas earlier on in the year I was locating at the top of the strike zone as opposed to being just a little above it. From the first time I faced these guys to this time, stuff-wise, there wasn't too much different," said Odorizzi, whose ERA jumped from 3.06 to 3.84 in the loss. "I'll move on for it. I'm responsible for the loss. I can atone for that. I can pitch better. It's as simple as that."