Article: KC 10, MIN 3: It’s a Hard Road

[Tom Froemming]

The road woes continued for the Twins Saturday night as they stumbled through a sloppy game and took a beating from the Royals. The Twins are 43-31 in home games this season, but this loss dropped their road record to 24-50. They’re also now 4-10 so far in September.Snapshot (chart via FanGraphs)

De Jong: 33 Game Score, 3.1 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 66.2% strikes (49 of 74 pitches)

Home Runs: None

Multi-Hit Games: Forsythe (2-for-5), Astudillo (2-for-4)

WPA of 0.1 or higher: None

WPA of -0.1 or lower: De Jong -.241

Download attachment: WinChart915.png

This pretty much sums it all up:

Both Paul Molitor and third base coach Gene Gylnn were ejected after that play. Word came through later that they were both arguing the pitch should have been called a strike, that the batter didn’t pull back the bunt attempt soon enough.

 

I've never seen Molitor more angry. He ended the confrontation by yelling "stupid, stupid, stupid" at the umpire. I'm sure he's been called worse, but it's pretty out of character for Molly to get so upset. Maybe he's feeling the heat ...

 

There were other embarrassing moments in this one. Jake Cave lost a ball in the lights. Willians Astudillo made a boneheaded baserunning blunder, apparently forgetting how many outs there were.

 

Chase De Jong made his second start for the Twins. It did not go well. He only lasted 3 1/3 innings and gave up five runs (three earned) on eight hits. The bullpen was brutal, as well. Zack Littell gave up four earned runs in his 2 2/3 innings, and was removed from this game due to an apparent injury.

 

The Twins lineup tallied 11 hits and drew a couple walks, but could only come away with three runs. A big reason behind that was the only extra-base hit they got was a Joe Mauer double.

 

The Twins will hope to avoid the four-game sweep at Kauffman Stadium tomorrow afternoon.

 

Next Three Games

Sun at KC, 1:15 pm CT: Kyle Gibson vs. Jakob Junis

Mon at DET, 6:10 pm CT: TBD

Tue at DET, 6:10 pm CT: Jake Odorizzi vs. TBD

 

Last Three Games

KC 8, MIN 4: OH THE HUMANITY!!!

KC 6, MIN 4: Coming Down is the Hardest Thing

MIN 3, NYY 1: Odorizzi Carries No-No Into 8th Inning

 

Click here to view the article

[Shaitan]

Last year they couldn't win at home. What a weird team.

[Einheri]

I had to shut the game off early.
Well… not so much had to as chose to.

Twins have been playing some bad, ugly baseball these last three games.

[Winston Smith]

Now suddenly the day they are officially eliminated he finally shows some emotion?

[wsnydes]

I just can't get passed how good this team can look against the leagues best and then get bludgeoned by the dregs of the league in the next series.  

Edited September 16, 2018 by wsnydes

[MABB1959]

Well we kind of looked forward to see what we had in the minors.  A tad disappointing at least from what I can see at least for the pitching.  If they can't pitch to KC who can they pitch to?

[MABB1959]

If you can try to see the positives it would be Berrios, Romero and Rogers for pitching.  Santana perhaps if they bring him back, but that would cost money so I don't see that happening.  Are there any big name free agent pitchers?  Would the Twins pursue them?  Would they want to come to MN?  I can't even see this team contending for at least 5 years and that is a big question mark. 

 

[mikelink45]

I am trying to remember which of these teams has the second worst record in the league!  As BBAM wrote - who are our next pitchers?  If this is what the team considers the best of the rookie prospects how to they rank?  From bad to worst - 

Kohl Stewart

DeJong

Gonsalves

Littell

 

Would Aaron Slegers have been any better? 

Are any of these pitchers showing enough to say that they can just move on from rookie jitters?

 

With our BP looking gassed there is a lot to be done for next year.

[USAFChief]

Tom...don’t forget the routine DP ball to third, where nobody bothered to cover 2b. Instead of ending the inning, that left runners on 2nd and 3rd. And of course there was a 2 run double from Gordon that followed, but that’s not the point.

 

This team is terrible at baseball. Has been in the entire Molitor era. Talent can’t be pulled from thin air, but it’s Molitor’s job to get his players to play the game well. And they do NOT play the game well.

 

That was really awful last night. Worse than you should see in MLB, and it is commonplace for this team.

 

Start the repairs with the manager.

[Doctor Wu]

At least we weren't beaten by the heroics of Drew Butera this time.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

I knew we were in trouble in the bottom of the first inning when Kansas City players showed the Twin players how to move a player, who had hit a lead off double, to third base by hitting the ball on the ground behind the runner on second, thereby advancing the runner to 3rd base and then hitting  the ball on the ground to the same location, so the runner on third could score. The Twins had looked pathetic in the top of the 1st inning in failing to advance Mauer from his lead off double. This is elementary baseball 101.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

 

Tom...don’t forget the routine DP ball to third, where nobody bothered to cover 2b. Instead of ending the inning, that left runners on 2nd and 3rd. And of course there was a 2 run double from Gordon that followed, but that’s not the point.

This team is terrible at baseball. Has been in the entire Molitor era. Talent can’t be pulled from thin air, but it’s Molitor’s job to get his players to play the game well. And they do NOT play the game well.

That was really awful last night. Worse than you should see in MLB, and it is commonplace for this team.

Start the repairs with the manager.

I like Molly, but I must agree with you.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

Did the Twins first base coach remind Astudillo that there was one out just before  Astudillo was doubled off of first base? Quoting  Struther Martin in "Cool Hand Luke" : "What we have here is failure to communicate."