Game one (over) reactions.

[DaveW]

 

Instead if sacrificing Dozier's at bat, why didn't the just let Buxton advance on whatever out Dozier might have made? Or was Molitor that concerned about Dozier striking out in that situation? Confused.

Don't even get me started at having one of your best hitters bunt in the third inning of a 1-0 game.

[DiscGolfer]

Gibson struggled tonight but only gave up 4 runs, that still keeps us in the game.  The bats need to start coming around very soon.

 

I can live with the Sano experiment in RF, it's going to be a clown show at times but he need to stop trying to hit the ball out with every swing.  He worked a couple walks in his first 2 AB he needs to just keep working the count then swing for it in a favorable count.

[USAFChief]

Instead if sacrificing Dozier's at bat, why didn't the just let Buxton advance on whatever out Dozier might have made? Or was Molitor that concerned about Dozier striking out in that situation? Confused.

It wasn't a sacrifice. He bunted for a hit.

 

And I'd wager 10-1 he bunted on own.

[DaveW]

 

It wasn't a sacrifice.

Are you sure about that?

[DaveW]

 

 

Gibson struggled tonight but only gave up 4 runs, that still keeps us in the game.  The bats need to start coming around very soon.

 

I can live with the Sano experiment in RF, it's going to be a clown show at times but he need to stop trying to hit the ball out with every swing.  He worked a couple walks in his first 2 AB he needs to just keep working the count then swing for it in a favorable count.

Sano will be fine.

The umps had a very wide strike zone for the Twins today, so it was impressive he was able to get two walks. He does have to lay off the high heat though, he is a smart kid, if teams keep pitching him like that he will adjust.

 

As far as struggles at the dish in SSS I am much more concerned with Dozier our "leadoff" hitter who hasn't gotten on base yet, I worry that his 2nd half struggles might carry over.

Again it's still early, but I haven't seen Dozier have a good AB yet.

[DiscGolfer]

I'm Ok with Doz bunting in that situation, it lead to the game tying run.  He hasn't gotten a hit yet and seems like he's just been flying out and popping up so far.  Overall not worried about Dozier but not going to nit pick about that play.

[h2oface]

 

Don't even get me started at having one of your best hitters bunt in the third inning of a 1-0 game.

 I bet that was Dozier's decision. I can't get started until I know that....

 

........ and hey!  This isn't game one discussion anymore! This thread is getting hi-jacked by game two!      

[h2oface]

It only took me one game to remember how much I hate home plate umpires, and humans calling balls and strikes as poorly as they always do. And game two didn't help.

[DaveW]

 

It only took me one game to remember how much I hate home plate umpires, and humans calling balls and strikes as poorly as they always do. And game two didn't help.

Yeah, that strike zone was all over the place, which is not a good thing for a team that will have....significant strike outs anyways. Umps need to start being held accountable, if they "miss" X number of balls/strikes they shouldn't be allowed to do home plate duties for a set number of series. Eventually you ban them from behind the plate overall and they become 1st/2nd/3rd base "specialists"

[h2oface]

 

Lastly, I would love to hear anyone defend letting Suzuki hit in the 9th inning down two and representing the tying run.

 

Molitor is trying to make sure red hot D-san cools off?

[jud6312]

 

Yeah, Abad (more like APerfectlyAccetable so far amirite?) bailed out Fien that inning for sure. Those were some ugly/easy to hit pitches. IMO Duffey can't come up soon enough, or Pressly can't be "promoted" to the more crunch time spots soon enough.

 

I just can't trust Fien in a close game at this stage.

I don't think I could trust Fien in a blowout at this point. People can trot out his advanced stats to defend the Twins tendering him all they want. But he hasn't passed the eye test the last couple of years and I hope his leash is very, very short.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

 

It wasn't a sacrifice. He bunted for a hit.

And I'd wager 10-1 he bunted on own.

Good to know.

 

 

 

 

And he should be benched for it. 

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

 

Molitor is trying to make sure red hot D-san cools off?

yeah he had a torrid second half of spring training. I'd like to see Santana get some ABs immediately but don't know where they would come from. 

[DaveW]

 

I don't think I could trust Fien in a blowout at this point. People can trot out his advanced stats to defend the Twins tendering him all they want. But he hasn't passed the eye test the last couple of years and I hope his leash is very, very short.

He looked better tonight, but these are the type of games he should be used in. Not tie games or the Twins holding a small lead.

[Foghorn Leghorn]

 

It isn't that baffling, those 47 games are all very important for a team trying to compete. Eventually a guy with a .575 OPS will start costing you ball games.

Send him to the Minors!!!!

Lulzzz

[jud6312]

How bad was it today? I'm in Reno so I was able to watch some Giants/Brewers this morning and A's/Sox tonight, but that's about it.

[bluechipper]

 

How bad was it today? I'm in Reno so I was able to watch some Giants/Brewers this morning and A's/Sox tonight, but that's about it.

One run against Yovani Gallardo, who was throwing up high 80's garbage for 5 innings, so not very good. Byron Buxton and Trevor Plouffe were the highlights tonight.

[h2oface]

 

Sano, yikes, this RF experiment is going to be painful for sometime.

 

I really hope that someone makes a reel of this silly dive and all the others to come. It will be good comedy down the road. Not so funny when you are living it, but when you look back, it will be easier to laugh at it.

[DiscGolfer]

Again, at least we'er not Padres fans.  They'er making last year's Twins start look stellar.

[Otto von Ballpark]

It wasn't a sacrifice. He bunted for a hit.

 

And I'd wager 10-1 he bunted on own.

Even if he bunted on his own, that wouldn't absolve the manager of any responsibility. It is likely that he gave the player permission to bunt on his own, and did nothing to tell the player otherwise in that situation.

[USAFChief]

Even if he bunted on his own, that wouldn't absolve the manager of any responsibility. It is likely that he gave the player permission to bunt on his own, and did nothing to tell the player otherwise in that situation.

Absolve him of what? I have no problem with occasional attempts at bunt hits. I have no problem with this specific play. I wouldn't want the manager to tell his players never to bunt.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

Absolve him of what? I have no problem with occasional attempts at bunt hits. I have no problem with this specific play. I wouldn't want the manager to tell his players never to bunt.

I have no problems with attempts at bunt hits, particularly if a player feels he isn't taking good at-bats.

 

But boy, I hate sacrifice bunts.

 

I wasn't able to watch the game so I have no opinion on Dozier's intent.

[USAFChief]

 

But boy, I hate sacrifice bunts.

 .

As do I.

[Platoon]

Given the oddities of last night's game and the fact it was Opening Day, I simply can't get too worked up about not pinch-hitting for Suzuki.

 

If this continues to be a trend as the season progresses, then I'll get a bit more worked up about it.

It was a trend all last year.

[Platoon]

2015 had Chris Herrmann and Eric Fryer as the second "best" catching options. I need more than one game of data before making an assertion that nothing has changed.

When you PH for your catcher, down in the 9th, the quality of your backup catcher should not be part of the decision making process. In the 7th, possibly.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

It was a trend all last year.

Yeah, it was... But the Twins bench was also varying levels of terrible last season.

 

I question not pinch-hitting for Suzuki last night with a guy on second base and one out. On the other hand, it was against a lefty and the Twins don't have a great bench bat with a lefty on the mound.

 

But pinch-hitting for your starting catcher against a lefty in a weird, rain-delayed game with no one on base isn't a move I can question at all.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Absolve him of what? I have no problem with occasional attempts at bunt hits. I have no problem with this specific play. I wouldn't want the manager to tell his players never to bunt.

I have no problem with occasional bunt hit attempts either, and I didn't mean to imply otherwise (or imply that the manager should ban bunts completely).

 

But it is still up to the manager to tell his players not to do it, if it is not a good situation for it, especially if he suspects the player may be including the sac bunt "benefits" in his calculation to attempt it, which could have been the case with Dozier.  With the speedy Buxton on second base, and nobody out, there is zero "sacrifice" benefit from a failed bunt hit attempt -- and it's on Molitor to make sure his players know that.

[DaveW]

I'm pretty sure I read that Molitor in fact called for the bunt and it was a sacrifice.

[Mike Sixel]

 

I'm pretty sure I read that Molitor in fact called for the bunt and it was a sacrifice.

 

If true, I really don't want him as the manager. 

[DaveW]

 

If true, I really don't want him as the manager. 

Yeah it was a sacrifice bunt, it was mentioned in the Strib by Miller I believe.