DET 4, MIN 3: Twins Fail to Execute in Extras
Apr 06 2021 03:12 PM |
Jamie Cameron
in Minnesota Twins
Image courtesy of © Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Box ScoreHapp: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
Home Runs: Cruz (3), Buxton (3)
Bottom 3 WPA: Robles -.350, Arraez -.210, Stashak -.196
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs):
Happ Solid, Stretched Out
J.A. Happ joined the Twins’ spring camp late due to a positive COVID test. Previously, Happ had only been stretched out to 73 pitches. In his first start of the season, Happ was solid, if not spectacular, striking out four in four innings of one-run ball. Happ managed 89 pitches, with a very mediocre Twins infield behind him.
Mize Strong Early
Casey Mize looked strong early for the Tigers. The 2018 No. 1 pick worked around scattered hits and walks in the first few innings, before struggling significantly in the fourth. In 2020, Mize typically got into messy innings, limiting his ability to get into later innings, the same was true today.
Arraez and Buxton Return to Lineup
Both Luis Arraez and Byron Buxton returned to the Twins lineup after exiting previous games with illness. Arraez started the game at second base, Buxton entered for Brent Rooker in the fifth.
Squandered Opportunities
The majority of the game felt like a frustrating 2020 offensive performance, full of missed opportunities.
In the top of the seventh inning however, Nelson Cruz again took matters into his own hands, sending his third HR in two days to right center field.
After replacing a struggling Brent Rooker, Byron Buxton deposited a pitch from José Cisnero deep into the left center field seats, emphatically tying the game in the top of the eighth after missing the previous two games with gastrointestinal discomfort.
Bullpen Battle
Happ’s relatively short start thrust the Twins bullpen into six innings of work. Cody Stashak entered the game in the fifth and struggled significantly. Stashak, who normally models impeccable control and command, needed 28 pitches (18 strikes) to see out his inning of work, giving up three hits, a walk and two runs in the process, ballooning his early 2021 ERA to 9.00.
2020 most surprising Twin Caleb Thielbar made his first appearance of 2021 in the seventh inning after missing some time in spring training with a back strain. Thielbar looked impressive in his outing, striking out five in two innings of work, showing sharp command of his curveball, and reaching an improved 93 mph with his fastball.
After Tyler Duffey pitched his best inning of the year, allowing just a walk in the eighth, Taylor Rogers found trouble in the ninth. Rogers induced a double play from Miguel Cabrera to end the inning.
In the top of the 10th, with Jorge Polanco beginning the inning at second base, Nelson Cruz immediately shot an opposite field single through the gap, sending Polanco to third base. Byron Buxton ground out, leading to Jorge Polanco being thrown out at the plate for the second time in the game before Andrelton Simmons struck out to end another empty Twins threat.
In the bottom of the 10th, Jeimer Candelario grounded out, moving Harold Castro to third base. Wilson Ramos struck out swinging. Hansel Robles deliberately walked Robbie Grossman before Akil Baddoo continued his torrid start to his first month in MLB, stroking the game winning single to right field to put the final nail in the coffin of a game the Twins will feel they should have won.
Mauer Joins Broadcast
Lastly, in a treat for home team fans, Twins great and future Hall of Famer joined the broadcast in the sixth inning, joining Dick Bremer and Justin Morneau to preview a charity home run derby being held at Target Field.
What were your thoughts on today's game? Who impressed? Who left you frustrated?
Postgame with Baldelli
Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet
55 Comments
My personal opinion is they wouldn't have left him off if they thought someone would take him.I could be wrong though as they do have a lot of outfielders in the pipeline and their two top prospects are outfielders.
Here is the thing how many players can move from or have moved from A ball to the majors?I honestly can't think of any.They had to believe the odds were on their side in a major way.It is hard enough for players to make it from AAA to the majors and while several have made the jump from AA I can't think of anyone making it straight from A ball.Some college players have moved pretty fast especially relief pitchers but position players usually take time.
The FO knew Baddoo was good there just wasn't really much president for a player making that large of a jump and making it.
I think if Baddoo had played last season and there wasn't a Covid season they could have seen the improvement and protected him.They never got that chance.Some scout must have seen Baddoo or had some information passed to him and it was enough for the Tigers to take a chance.That is my theory.
Exactly. It’s the offense’s fault they couldn’t do squat with runners at the corners and nobody out.
1) MLB puts a ghost runner second.
2) Said ghost runner scores on a base hit.
3) The pitcher who gave up the base hit is not charged with an earned run.
Ghost runner appears on base, scores, the official scoreer doesn't know how!
My favorite part of the game was watching Duffey follow Thielbar. Both guys are curveball masters that used to have low-90's heat. Both guys did Johnson's power pitching course. Now Thielbar has a 94 mph heater to complement his assortment of slow curves. Not just higher velo, but with control. With that extra weapon he befuddled Detroit's hitters for a couple innings.
When Duffey followed, I thought I could see him using the same approach with his new amped-up heat (94 to 96 mph) to go with his harder curves and occasional change. Clearly the extra couple mph - with added control - is helping both these guys dominate. Even better, the new mechanics appears to be easier on the body, which bodes well for longevity.
Never been a Stashak fan...still am not...
It's still a stupid rule, win or lose.
Watch the game. I agree by and large it’s been good but there’s been some blunders and today was a result of that
Well, it may be stupid. Or it may not. I suspect there are differences of opinion.
But the post I responded to said the rule was the reason the Twins lost.
Hard to support that claim, IMO.
I too listened to the broadcast on MLB channel on you tube. They kept talking about pace of play and Gibson followed suit all game with his pace of play broadcasting. Didn't realize it was him but he sounded so old in the booth. Painful at times to listen to him slowly get the color commentary out.
You could say the strategy game is different as the visitor team vs home. So both losses we were visitor and if you don't score, home team has the advantage in my opinion. Kind of like winning the coin toss in football, you go defense first and you know what you need to do. Twins don't small ball anything so there is no pressure on Tigers to defend a bunt, hit behind the runner (except if it is Cruz). It's swing really hard and hope you hit a bomba mentality. Close games we aren't built for
I think there are plenty of passionate fans who don’t feel this way.
Not quite like a coin toss — in the scenario you describe, the visiting team already failed to do something (score in top of inning) and the home team succeeded at something (preventing a run in the top of the inning). It is not a random event that advantages the home team in that scenario, it is their own good play. That’s like saying the advantage shifts to the offense after a lead off triple — of course it does, they did something good!
Also while it may seem advantageous to be able to play for 1 run, some of that is neutralized by the defense being able to play for preventing 1 run too. In the top of the 10th, there is a real downside for the home team on defense to issue intentional walks, play the infield in, etc. But those strategies become acceptable— recommended, even — for the visitors playing defense in the bottom of the inning. The home team may still get a slight net advantage but it could be rather small and easily dwarfed by other factors.
Would be interesting to see a study on this, if we have enough data.
Can't watch the game and it is a lot harder to get a good feel when listening on the radio. But really wonder about some of the decisions being made early this year.
Happ started the season after missing about half of spring training. Yet, he was kept in to pitch as many, or was it the most, pitches of any starter first time thru the rotation?
Didn't Garlick beat out Rooker to start the season. Yet, since Rooker has been called up it seems like he is starting every game as Garlick sits. Is Garlick nursing an injury? Don't understand why he hasn't seen almost any action.
And gon't get me started thinking about this bloody second base/extra inning rule. Again, couldn't see the game but don't understand why Polanco wasn't sent home on a single to the outfield. Then was on a contact play to get thrown out for the second time of the game.
I take little stock in any single game in baseball.Baseball is a game of failing at the plate.We had a bad day, but the game prior they did pretty well with RISP.So far this year we have done well.Eventually it will balance out and you need to look at how they are doing overall.One of the missed chances was Arraez hitting a ball that in just about every other park would be a grandslam, but in Detroit is a warning track out to center.I did not check how many parks that would have been a HR in or off the wall, but I know Detroit has a very deep outfield.
Another play that sticks out is Sano's worm burner into the shift that the second baseman made good stop to save a run and get an out.Games like this will happen throughout the season.
I am most disappointed in Mr. Rooker so far.He is being given a great chance to show he belongs at the majors and has done nothing so far.Garlick is not doing much either.It will only be a matter of time before Kirilloff gets in there. I know it is short sample so far but neither has really given much to say oh that was just bad luck.
Its early. It was a bad game. Twins have yet to figure out how to win with the extra inning gimmick. They failed badly in both their extra inning games so far. On the plus side, Buxton and Cruz are off to great starts. Please stay healthy.
Dr. Evil - I guess AZTwin couldn't come up with an example.
agree that Polanco should not have tried to score. Buxton would probably have been safe at first and the sacks would have been loaded. I guess most felt that he could not have scored on Cruz's hit...which was too bad. More often then not the runner at 2nd scores on a base hit.
Sano--well, 19 AB's and 10 k's in 5 games. 1 HR and 2 RBI. guess this topic is up for grabs with Twins fans. While I don't like the trend, it is consistent with his career. He may be on a pace for 30 HR's but also 250 k's if he gets 500 AB's. Rob Deer anyone?
I’m not allowed to go into specifics here but gladly will in DM if you’d like
We can all agree that Brent Rooker has looked like a trash fire out there but it's also 11 PAs, less than three full games of play. If he continues to flail like he has, the stats won't really matter, it's the fact he can't connect on hittable pitches and can't lay off unhittable pitches (he did both a few times yesterday alone).
On the other hand, Garlick has only 5 PAs but also has a .900 OPS in those appearances. His stat line is as equally unimportant as Rooker’s, though it highlights how extremely SSS can be wildly out of line with perception because if you missed on good PA, it looks like he has done nothing.
I wonder if teams will start walking the first batter in extras. Seems like a force at all 3 bases would almost make it easier...
I was at the start of season in favor of Dobnak to be in the rotation. Then I figured that long relief isn't so bad, in the beginning many starters shouldn't be able to go much beyond 4 innings. He could come in and pitch 2 or 3 innings and make a considerable contribution. But so far he's been used as a highest leverage closer and to mop up a game. Neither situation could contribute to confidence or establish his groove. Last year Dobnak was used as a starter when they needed a pitcher when someone went down (on short notice) or to pitch on short rest. In another words they don't want Dobnak as a legit starter but as someone they can throw under the bus. This IMO is a waste of Dobnak's potential. The 2 games they lost would've been the best situations to have pitched Dobnak, to take advantage of his talents and I believe with better results.
I would definitely add Garver to your "need benching list". He might even be due for something worse. You can't send him down. Release him??