Jhoan Duran is one of the most dominant bullpen arms in Major League Baseball. However, on Sunday afternoon, the Minnesota Twins’ powerful closer surrendered a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 9th inning, with the game tied at 2-2.
So what went wrong? It started with the pitch selection: an 83 MPH curveball on a 0-0 count that 26-year-old right fielder Will Brennan managed to hit over the right field fence at Progressive Field. It wasn’t a terrible pitch, and the location was solid, but sometimes the hitter just comes out on top.
After the game, Duran was questioned about his reliance on offspeed pitches, despite having a 103 MPH fastball in his arsenal. According to ESPN, Duran threw eight offspeed pitches compared to just five fastballs.
Jhoan Duran shifts blame to coaches after walk off home run
His response was surprising, to say the least. Instead of the usual “you try to make the right pitch and sometimes the batter is just better,” the Minnesota Twins’ flamethrower blamed the coaching staff, saying, “I’m just an employee; the coaches tell me what to do.”
Adding to the intrigue, Duran also took responsibility for an offspeed pitch hit by Jose Ramirez on Friday night during the first game of the series. It’s worth noting that pitching coach Pete Maki initiated a mound visit with Duran and Jeffers just before the final at-bat against Will Brennan began.
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