MINNEAPOLIS -- The Twins still have a lot of learning to do about their pitching staff as they enter the stretch run of the season in a tight divisional race, in which they now hold third place in the AL Central -- two games behind the first-place Guardians, and one game behind the second-place Royals.

Foremost are two issues that flared up meaningfully as part of their 6-1 loss to the Cardinals in Friday¡¯s series opener at Target Field. Firstly, what can they do about David Festa¡¯s marked issues facing the lineup a second time through? Secondly -- and perhaps more importantly -- what¡¯s behind this sudden rough patch for reliever Jorge Alcala?

Those were far from the only troubles in Friday¡¯s defeat, their fourth in five games, as part of which the Twins squandered a bases-loaded opportunity in the second inning before Cardinals pitching also retired 19 of the final 20 Twins hitters -- but they also present the more pressing trends in the bigger picture.

While Festa entered the game on a run of five mostly effective outings, he struggled with a climbing pitch count and deep plate appearances as he lasted 3 2/3 frames and was pulled after allowing three runs, including two in the fourth inning.

¡°The strikeouts are there and stuff like that,¡± said Festa, the No. 88 prospect in baseball. ¡°I just need to be more efficient.¡±

Notably, Festa was hitless and allowed only a Matt Carpenter walk in his first trip through the Cardinals¡¯ lineup, but allowed a single, two doubles and a walk among the seven hitters he faced in his incomplete second time through, another data point in what has already been brought up several times in Festa¡¯s young career as a potential challenge for him to overcome.

Hitters against Festa, first time through: .134/.194/.179 (.374 OPS)
Hitters against Festa, second time through: .393/.456/.787 (1.243 OPS)

With that said, Festa has completed five innings in five of his eight appearances this season, and had pitched to a 2.38 ERA with 31 strikeouts in 22 2/3 innings across his previous five outings before Friday. Both Festa and manager Rocco Baldelli also indicated that they didn¡¯t necessarily see this outing as a continuation of the trend.

Festa dealt with deep plate appearances as part of his 28-pitch third inning, and Baldelli felt this outcome was more attributed to Festa¡¯s poor command than to the Cardinals' hitters seeing him better the second time.

¡°You look back earlier in the year, the Detroit outing when I went second and third time around, they hammered balls off me,¡± Festa said. ¡°Tonight, I thought they just did a great job of working at-bats. Even the first time around, I don¡¯t think I was efficient enough.¡±

In any case, the Twins can manage Festa thanks to the upcoming Sept. 1 roster expansion -- but more urgently, they need Alcala to get right.

With Brock Stewart lost for the rest of the season due to arthroscopic shoulder surgery, Justin Topa¡¯s comeback bid continually derailed by knee and arm issues, and Caleb Thielbar having struggled for much of the season, the Twins have had to rely heavily on Alcala as a reliable bridge reliever to hand leads to Griffin Jax and Jhoan Duran at the end of games.

While Alcala¡¯s considerable success early this season has been a needed and welcome surprise, as he carried a 1.51 ERA through July 20, he has been considerably less reliable in the last month, with an 8.25 ERA across his past 12 games, culminating in his five-run blowup in Texas on Sunday.

Homers against Alcala, first 32 appearances: 0
Homers against Alcala, last 12 appearances: 6

One issue that might come to mind is that Alcala -- who has missed considerable time with arm issues since 2021 -- might be wearing down, considering he has now thrown more innings this season (47 2/3) than in ¡®22 and ¡®23 combined (19 2/3).

But Baldelli refuted that notion, and at least for now, the Twins will have to continue relying on the 29-year-old until they¡¯re perhaps able to convert Louie Varland back to a relief role down the stretch to spell some of those situations.

¡°I'm not worried about it,¡± Baldelli said. ¡°I think there are natural ups and downs that both pitchers and position players feel.¡±