Article: OAK 5, MIN 4: Rogers Gives Up Walk-Off HR

[Tom Froemming]

Brandon Kintzler was unavailable, so it was up to Taylor Rogers to protect a one-run lead. It would have been his first professional save on any level … would have been. Rogers walked the leadoff man, then gave up a walk-off homer to the next batter, Rajai Davis.

 

Cleveland extended its winning streak to nine games, though the Royals’ winning streak was snapped. The Twins are seven games back in the division and four back in the wild card race.Win Expectancy (via Fangraphs)

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Oakland struck first in this one, but the Twins built a 4-1 lead by the top of the fifth inning. The A’s climbed back into it by scoring a run on a two-out single in the fifth and a two-out solo homer in the eighth.

 

Rogers came in to bail out Buddy Boshers, who gave up that homer, and recorded the final out of the eighth inning. He opened the ninth by getting up 0-2 on Adam Rosales, but eventually walked him. Then Davis blasted a 1-0 pitch into the night to finish off the Twins. This was Rogers’ fourth-straight appearance allowing a run.

Adalberto Mejia gave up a pair of runs over 5.0 innings, and it took him 97 pitches to get that far. He gave up eight hits, walked two batters and had two strikeouts. Mejia has certainly been one of the bright spots this year, but he’s only completed six or more innings in four of his 16 starts.

 

In the second inning, Zack Granite hit a bases-loaded two-run single. The Twins managed to load them up again that inning, but Max Kepler and Miguel Sano both struck out.

Sano would later hit his 24th homer of the season, a two-out opposite-field liner.

Sano also made a spectacular catch in foul territory, colliding with the tarp … okay, maybe it didn’t happen exactly like that.

Joe Mauer drew three walks, and Aaron Gleeman passed along this interesting tidbit on Twitter:

Postgame With Paul Molitor

Bullpen Usage

Here’s a quick look at the number of pitches thrown by the bullpen over the past five days:

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Sunday

Twins (Bartolo Colon) at Oakland (Jharel Cotton), 3:05 pm CT

 

Sonny Gray was originally scheduled to start this game. He’s the hottest name on the trade market right now, so it’s no surprise to see the A’s opt not to roll him out there right before the deadline. Instead, the Twins will face Cotton in his first start since July 7 (blister). Cotton has struggled in 14 starts this year, posting a 5.17 ERA

 

Colon has given up seven runs on 16 hits in his 9.0 innings pitched for the Twins over two starts. Bartolo spent the 2012 & 2013 seasons with the A’s, and has outstanding numbers at the Coliseum. In 224.1 innings, Colon has a 2.93 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in Oakland.

 

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[bluechipper]

Awful loss again. I'm less annoyed by the bullpen and more annoyed with the offense wasting so many opportunities and then calling it a night after 5 innings.

[Rosterman]

Offense consistency (lineup construction, too, perhaps) and the bullpen. Those bullpen arms are going to wear down fast. 

[beckmt]

Bullpen and loss are on Molitor,  why would you let Rogers face Davis?  He is twice the hitter against lefties.  I do not care who your closer is, just do the matchups.  

[AlwaysinModeration]

That Davis guy can come up with some clutch hits. His homerun off of Chapman in the World Series would go down as one of the biggest hits of all-time had Cleveland managed to win that game.

[hybridbear]

What the heck is wrong with Taylor Rogers??

[Darius]

That's one of the worst losses of the year.

 

Right when I was starting to think this team may be able to crawl back in it one more time.

[Mr. Brooks]

Ideally, Rogers shouldn't really be pitching to right handed hitters in high leverage situations.

But, I'm not sure the Twins have enough bullpen pieces to be that picky, unfortunately.

[drjim]

 

Ideally, Rogers shouldn't really be pitching to right handed hitters in high leverage situations.
But, I'm not sure the Twins have enough bullpen pieces to be that picky, unfortunately.

 

I would agree with this.

 

Belisle might have been the next best option, and he is extra bad on back to back days.

[h2oface]

"Colon has given up seven runs on 16 hits in his 9.0 innings pitched for the Twins over two starts."

Yup. Can't wait for another start...............

[Willihammer]

Don't think there's anything wrong with Rogers. I like him, he's a MLB pitcher IMO, but he's got a 3.82 FIP, maybe just falling back to earth.

For sure he's miscast as a #2 bullpen guy. Should be more like #6.

[Tommygun921]

Starters not getting deep into games has caught up to the bullpen the last week or so. Gets so tiring seeing starters out after 5 innings....or less.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Rogers and Kintzler both look cooked right now. This would have been good time to try out Hildenberger in late innings. Or Belisle who was fully warmed up and waiting to enter.

[puckstopper1]

This game gives us a glimpse of what life might be like without Kintzler, and it is not pretty.

[jimmer]

 

This game gives us a glimpse of what life might be like without Kintzler, and it is not pretty.

Did't Kintzler just blow a save and take the loss a game a few days ago himself?

[PDX Twin]

 

I would agree with this.

 

Belisle might have been the next best option, and he is extra bad on back to back days.

 

I'd vote for Hildenberger.

[Seth Stohs]

 

I'd vote for Hildenberger.

 

Would have been a good situation for Hildenberger. Rogers has just been so overused all season, it's finally caught up. He'll be fine... But Hildenberger could have done it, in front of family and friends. And the A's hitters haven't seen him, so he could throw them off with the delivery. Would have been better, I think.

[Mr. Brooks]

Would have been a good situation for Hildenberger. Rogers has just been so overused all season, it's finally caught up. He'll be fine... But Hildenberger could have done it, in front of family and friends. And the A's hitters haven't seen him, so he could throw them off with the delivery. Would have been better, I think.

On a good team Rogers should only be a LOOGY, IMO.

[diehardtwinsfan]

Yeah, Rodgers definitely has a role on this team going forward, but it's not that late inning shut down guy. He's an exceptional loogy more than anything. I do like some of the talent coming up, but it's miscasting guys like Rodgers due to short comings in the pen that is the real issue here. Overuse is also killing these guys.

[Seth Stohs]

 

On a good team Rogers should only be a LOOGY, IMO.

 

I don't think that's fair... Until 7-10 days ago, he was great against lefties and righties. We knew it would regress some, at some point, but we shouldn't take away from what he has done this year

[Mr. Brooks]

I don't think that's fair... Until 7-10 days ago, he was great against lefties and righties. We knew it would regress some, at some point, but we shouldn't take away from what he has done this year

No, even before his blowup the last week or so he had an OPS against in the mid to high .700's vs RH, compared to high .500's vs LH.

There has never been a time that he's been "great" against both.

At his best he's been great against lefties, and passable against righties.

 

He's very hittable against righties, always has been, most likely always will be, that's just a fact, not some insult that you have to defend.

[Seth Stohs]

 

No, even before his blowup the last week or so he had an OPS against in the mid to high .700's vs RH, compared to high .500's vs LH.
There has never been a time that he's been "great" against both.
At his best he's been great against lefties, and passable against righties.

He's very hittable against righties, always has been, most likely always will be, that's just a fact, not some insult that you have to defend.

 

Fair enough... My main point was that "overall", he got the job done early every time out until the past week or so... whatever that means, however many lefty or righties he faced. He didn't have the implosions, and he wasn't really even hurt much. 

[yarnivek1972]

Something that has to be considered an oddity are Rogers' platoon splits. He has a lower batting avg vs LHB but not nearly the spread of 2016. He's done a far better job throwing strikes. Although, I would imagine some of his walks vs RHB were intentional or semi-intentional. But Rogers has allowed 3 HR to LHB in just 50 or so PA. In over 110 PA vs RHB, he's allowed 3 HR as well. Obviously, a much better ratio vs RHB. Would seem to suggest that he has hung a couple breaking balls to LHB. Rogers was pitching far over his head this year. Right now, his season ERA is about where it probably should be: 3.8.