Molitor's decisions

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

Detroit's nine spot hitter is sporting a .349 AVG.

 

That lefty due up second in the 10th inning was the only lefty hitter in the Detroit lineup.  And he stroked a 2B off Pressly and scored the winning run.

 

And once someone reached base (2nd base no less, so no DP opportunity), 3 hitter Cabrera was due to hit that inning anyway (with a runner in scoring position, as it worked out).

 

Plus, in a tie game after 2 days rest, you have to be thinking multiple innings for Perkins.  Do you want him facing 9-1-2-3-4-5 and likely 6 if someone reaches base, including the .349 AVG nine hitter and lefty leadoff batter, or 3-4-5-6-7-8 with all RHB including the backup infielder and catcher?

I'm not arguing that it was the right decision and I'm not sure I would have made the same choice.

 

But it was a justifiable decision. In a righty-dominant lineup, going with Pressly is not a horrible call. Right handers have just a .277 OBP against him and it's not like he's a pitching machine against lefties, either.

[Linus]

 

No, no, no.  You don't limit a guy with the expectation that his usage will be critical in the next two games.  The Twins had one game out of their previous 5 where the closer was even necessary.

 

(That said, you don't FORCE him to pitch two innings -- if he scuffles a bit, you can pull him after one.  But if he is on, you let him pitch two, and deal with the next two games as needed.)

Yes, yes, yes - there is one closer and 6 other bullpen arms.  I like that Molly is using these other guys multiple innings but the logic is different with a closer.  Hell,last year none of them ever pitched more than one inning except Swarzak.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

But it was a justifiable decision. In a righty-dominant lineup, going with Pressly is not a horrible call. Right handers have just a .277 OBP against him.

Pressly also has a career 0.7 leverage index.  He's been facing RHB in mostly mop-up situations.  I'm all for trying him out in more important spots, but not THAT important, without a net.  (And again, their one LHB was due up second.)

 

BTW, Perkins had a .278 OBP against RHB last year.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Yes, yes, yes - there is one closer and 6 other bullpen arms.  I like that Molly is using these other guys multiple innings but the logic is different with a closer.  Hell,last year none of them ever pitched more than one inning except Swarzak.

I like multi-inning relievers too (although Molitor may not have done Casey Fien any favors there).

 

But the logic should not be that different with your relief ace, within reason (and a possible 2 innings, if he's cruising, in a tie game in extra innings on the road is well within reason).

 

Again, not so much of a big deal if you've got an established bullpen with talent up and down the line, but that is not the Twins current pen.  We don't have two equivalent setup men to pair with Perkins for 1 inning stints, which is part of the reason Molitor has been riding the hot hand for multiple innings and bringing in Perkins in the 8th at times.

[spinowner]

You can cite all the stats you want but with relievers a lot of it is who you think has a chance to do well that day, and there are a lot of intangibles there. Plus I think Molitor was asking himself who would close if he played his Perkins card early. Normally that would be Fien. I'd like those who advocated pitching Perkins in the 8th, 9th or 10th last night to say what their plans would have been if a closer was needed.

[spinowner]

Another point to be made is that extra inning games on the road are different from home games. There is no save opportunity at home if you are behind or tied after 8 innings. As a manager you'll be much more likely to go to your closer earlier at home than on the road.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Another point to be made is that extra inning games on the road are different from home games. There is no save opportunity at home if you are behind or tied after 8 innings. As a manager you'll be much more likely to go to your closer earlier at home than on the road.

That's managing to the save rule, and I have no problem disagreeing with that.

 

Hopefully that's not Molitor's thought process, although he's only deviated from it once so far (8th inning tie against KC, and Perkins allowed the go-ahead run to score).

 

If Perkins loses the game, hey you went down with your best, nothing wrong with that.  And if he just extends the game an inning or two, I have no problem then bringing in Pressly or whomever to "close" if we take the lead.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Plus I think Molitor was asking himself who would close if he played his Perkins card early. Normally that would be Fien.

April 26, similar situation (Gibson leaves tie game on the road after 7, actually gave up a double in the 8th), we used Thompson for an inning, Fien for 2, then we took a two run lead and Perkins got the save in the 11th.

 

Looks like Boyer is in the Fien role now.

[Willihammer]

 

You can cite all the stats you want but with relievers a lot of it is who you think has a chance to do well that day, and there are a lot of intangibles there. Plus I think Molitor was asking himself who would close if he played his Perkins card early. Normally that would be Fien. I'd like those who advocated pitching Perkins in the 8th, 9th or 10th last night to say what their plans would have been if a closer was needed.

 

Another point to be made is that extra inning games on the road are different from home games. There is no save opportunity at home if you are behind or tied after 8 innings. As a manager you'll be much more likely to go to your closer earlier at home than on the road.

Next guy up. Tonkin, Graham, Pressly, whoever. Cross that bridge if you get to it. There's no rule stopping a non-closer collecting a save on the road. Its a trivial stat to begin with and "closer" is just a title synonymous with "best reliever."

 

Think about how silly it is to keep your best guy on the bench in a tie game against the division leader because you're on the road and might have to let someone else collect or blow a save if you get the lead in the next inning. THAT would be hindsight.

[DaveW]

 

 I'd like those who advocated pitching Perkins in the 8th, 9th or 10th last night to say what their plans would have been if a closer was needed.

Well, if Perkins had only gone one inning then I would let him "close out his win" with a 2nd inning. If not, I would have whoever was the best arm left to try to "Close" it out. I'd still much rather have Perkins pitching in the 9th or 10th inning of a tie game, and leave it up to a random guy up 1, 2 or 3+ runs for the last inning, then have the other guy in the high leverage tie game scenario. At least in the "save" situation for the other guy (assuming Perkins had already pitched when it was tied) he has more margin for error at that point since one run won't lose you the game at that point.

[DaveW]

 

 

 

Looks like Boyer is in the Fien role now.

Which is NOT a good thing, frankly the Twins were lucky to get out of the 9th with a tie game, 9+ years of data shows us that Boyer is not someone you should be counting on in close games/high leverage situations.  Yeah, he has had some decent looking numbers as of late (Short Sample size big time) but still is sporting a poor K/BB rate, WHIP and other stats this year which indicate that he is literally a ticking time bomb in that situation.

Pressly is a slightly better option, but he too doesn't have the stuff to be a 7th or 8th inning guy and more projects to be a mop up guy/6th inning guy anyways.

[Willihammer]

4 days rest for a 4 run lead appearance. Economical!

[twinsnorth49]

Mollie managed the hell out of that game! 

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Personally I'm not overly concerned with the bullpen handling right now. Not with the starters pitching well and two off days next week.

 

We could always go to 13 pitchers if necessary

 

EDIT: yeah I would have brought in Perkins last night too

[Mike Sixel]

Suzuki is batting 2nd today.......explain?

[jimmer]

 

Suzuki is batting 2nd today.......explain?

Yeah, didn't he also bat cleanup a couple times already too? And 5th as well?  I'm done trying to figure out Molitor's lineups.

[Willihammer]

 

Yeah, didn't he also bat cleanup a couple times already too? And 5th as well?  I'm done trying to figure out Molitor's lineups.

On May 9, after going 4/9 in the previous two games (where he batted 6th and 5th).

 

Molitor seems to be moving guys into, out of, and around the lineup based on the previous day or two's performance.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Molitor seems to be moving guys into, out of, and around the lineup based on the previous day or two's performance.

I don't know about that -- last year Suzuki slotted into a lot of lineup spots (and did so in his Oakland heyday too).  Looks like he is the #5 hitter right now unless Plouffe or Hunter is out of the lineup.  Seems pretty standard.

 

Escobar as everyday LF/DH is the stranger move, IMHO.

[Mike Sixel]

 

I don't know about that -- last year Suzuki slotted into a lot of lineup spots (and did so in his Oakland heyday too).  Looks like he is the #5 hitter right now unless Plouffe or Hunter is out of the lineup.  Seems pretty standard.

 

Escobar as everyday LF/DH is the stranger move, IMHO.

 

Let's hope they soon have actual MLB OFers healthy and available to them.......seems hard to believe it is happening for a 3rd year in a row. I don't understand why Rosario is not in LF every game......

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

I don't understand why Rosario is not in LF every game......

Rosario has been in the lineup (either LF or RF) every game except 1 since his debut.  Hicks has 3 straight games in the lineup too.  So far, so good.  Escobar has only sat twice in the last 16 games though too, so something will have to give soon.

[Willihammer]

 

I don't know about that -- last year Suzuki slotted into a lot of lineup spots (and did so in his Oakland heyday too).  Looks like he is the #5 hitter right now unless Plouffe or Hunter is out of the lineup.  Seems pretty standard.

 

Escobar as everyday LF/DH is the stranger move, IMHO.

Well he's batting 2nd today and has slotted in everywhere but 1, 3 and 9. I dont' necessarily object to what Molitor's doing, they are scoring runs, but it seems clear that he's moving guys around almost on a day to day basis. Except Mauer of course.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Well he's batting 2nd today and has slotted in everywhere but 1, 3 and 9. I dont' necessarily object to what Molitor's doing, they are scoring runs, but it seems clear that he's moving guys around almost on a day to day basis. Except Mauer of course.

Spots 1 through 4 seem pretty solid the last 3 weeks, as well as #9.  And even before that, it was mainly just Dozier and Hunter alternating between 2 and 4.

 

This doesn't seem unusual for a team with a few anchors and some question marks in the lineup.

 

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

No patience for testing a young reliever with an important inning in mid-May?

And the reliever tested with that very important inning on Tuesday, was the same reliever called upon after the game got out of hand on Thursday (6 run deficit).

 

But I am sure glad that Perkins was theoretically available today!  (Not to mention closing out that 4 run lead last night.)

[Mike Sixel]

I think maybe Suzuki hit 2nd so everyone else could stay about where they normally are, now that I think about it. Not that I agree with that thinking but I would bet that's why.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Suzuki hit 2nd in the season opener last year.

 

And that wasn't even the Suzuki we think of when we think of Suzuki.

 

[spinowner]

 

I think maybe Suzuki hit 2nd so everyone else could stay about where they normally are, now that I think about it. Not that I agree with that thinking but I would bet that's why.

Gardenhire used to bat Redmond third on Mauer's days off for that reason. Drove me nuts.