Game Thread 4/11/2018 Twins vs Astros 12:10pm CDT

[Craig Arko]

That baseball’s orbit is an ellipse with the Earth at one focus.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Exactly as scripted.

It gets better...

[USAFChief]

 

Which should make it abundantly clear that Molitor didn’t WANT to use him THAT EARLY.

Don’t blame the manager when the tools he has been given fail.

What difference does it make whether he uses him earlier or later?

 

He used him.  He was always going to use him.  

 

I don't blame Molitor for having 2 unusable relievers, or for the failures of Hildenberger/Duke.

 

But letting the failing Hildenberger pitch in a critical situation while Reed sits is silly.  Let Reed get out of the jam.  Let Hildenberger start a clean inning, against the lower part of the order.  

 

Simple.

[VATwinsFan]

Herr Kepler habst ein Grossenbatten.

Max mit dem HomeRun machen ist sehr wunderbar!

[gocgo]

der Schläger!

[drock2190]

 

Kepler was on my bench for my fantasy team today. . . . You're all welcome.

 

Don't care!

 

McCullers was my starting  pitcher (sobs)

[LaBombo]

 

That baseball’s orbit is an ellipse with the Earth at one focus.

 

I gave this post a like because I want people to think that I know what it means...

[wsnydes]

 

Which should make it abundantly clear that Molitor didn’t WANT to use him THAT EARLY.

Don’t blame the manager when the tools he has been given fail.

I'd say that it's fair to blame the manager for bringing in a reliever struggling as much as Hildy is into a high leverage situation like that though.  I can understand why he didn't bring Reed in, but to bring Hildy in was questionable at best.  That allowed Houston back into the game.

 

Just because the tools he's been given are subpar, that doesn't mean that he can't maximize the value they do have.  Putting guys into a position to succeed is what a good manager does.  

[Halsey Hall]

MAX!  Addison Reed soon to be closer. 

[USAFChief]

 

Had this one all the way.

It's impossible to blow an 8-1 lead. Everyone knows this.

[h2oface]

Dozier. Making that throw. Surely he has become smarter than that over the years...... No chance to get him anyway. No brain working.

[Craig Arko]

So despite any gloomy thoughts, taking two out of three from one of the league’s best teams is good work.

[D. Hocking]

 

That baseball’s orbit is an ellipse with the Earth at one focus.

 

I gave this post a like because I want people to think that I know what it means...

 

I believe he is quoting Delmon Young.  He said stuff like that all the time when he was on the team.

 

[ashbury]

Fernando Rodney: all he does is win.

 

^{_{(Vultching the win from Hildy, given that Duke is credited with a Hold.)}}

[LaBombo]

 

Ausgezeichnet, Herr Kepler!

 

That's German for 'Extend Max before he's arb-eligible'.

[ashbury]

It gets better...

HEY! No spoilers.

[Mike Sixel]

 

MAX!  Addison Reed soon to be closer. 

 

I hope not. I want him available for high leverage situations, not held out of important spots to get the "save".

[Mike Sixel]

Rodeny got the win? hahahahahahaha. win stat has meaning. hahahahaha

[yarnivek1972]

What difference does it make whether he uses him earlier or later?

 

He used him. He was always going to use him.

 

I don't blame Molitor for having 2 unusable relievers, or for the failures of Hildenberger/Duke.

 

But letting the failing Hildenberger pitch in a critical situation while Reed sits is silly. Let Reed get out of the jam. Let Hildenberger start a clean inning, against the lower part of the order.

 

Simple.

What happens if Hildenberger struggles in that spot and hou have already used Reed?

 

Still simple?

[h2oface]

I love the guy in the green coat and hat that got Kepler's HR ball. Classic.

[ewen21]

 

I gave this post a like because I want people to think that I know what it means...

Kepler has inadvertently forced me to think of my high school physics teacher more than a few times.  It's the only cross thing I can say about the kid.

[nicksaviking]

 

But letting the failing Hildenberger pitch in a critical situation while Reed sits is silly.  Let Reed get out of the jam.  Let Hildenberger start a clean inning, against the lower part of the order.  

 

Simple.

 

I heard that bringing in Hildenberger is just Molitor's new way of convincing the other pitchers to stop letting guys get on base before they get pulled.

[ewen21]

I like Hildenburger still.

 

However, he is on the precipice of becoming "The Hindenburg" with a few Twins fans I know

[Mike Sixel]

 

What happens if Hildenberger struggles in that spot and hou have already used Reed?

Still simple?

 

 

Yes, because you don't know if that will happen, or not. But, you do 100% know you have the bases loaded, and a great pitcher availalbe at that point. What happens later is 100% no relevant to the decision.

[ThejacKmp]

They used him anyway.  

 

It wasn't a question of if, it was a question of when.

 

So yeah, this was ENTIRELY on Molitor.

It was a question of if. If Hildy wiggles out and it stays a big twins lead, you're seeing kinley and moya and co. Reed wasn't preordained to pitch today.

[TFRazor]

Even though the stat book doesn’t, can we give Reed the win, hold and the save?

[Circus Boy]

This was an excellent come-from-behind win.

[wsnydes]

 

This was an excellent come-from-ahead win.

FTFY 

[slash129]

Thank you, Max! You just made that 32 walk, bullpen-taxing series all worth it!

[slash129]

Sorry ... Double