Article: MIN 5, DET 3: Odorizzi Turns In Another Quality Start

[Tom Froemming]

Jake Odorizzi followed up a one-hit effort against the Yankees by holding the Tigers to one hit through six innings before Detroit tacked on a few more hits and a pair of runs in the seventh. This was the first time all season Odorizzi delivered a quality start in back-to-back outings. He’s shaved his season ERA from 4.57 to 4.35 over these past two outings.Snapshot (chart via FanGraphs)

Odorizzi: 68 Game Score, 6.1 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 66.7% strikes (56 of 84 pitches

Home Runs: Gimenez (2)

Multi-Hit Games: Mauer (2-for-5), Polanco (2-for-4, 2B, BB), Austin (2-for-4, 2B), Gimenez (2-for-4, HR)

WPA of 0.1 or higher: Odorizzi .240, Magill .151

WPA of -0.1 or lower: Sano -.118

Download attachment: WinChart918.png

Odorizzi was aggressive tonight, needing just 84 pitches to go 6 1/3 innings. He only walked one batter and struck out six. It’s nice to see him finishing strong.

 

Matt Magill took over for Odorizzi with one out and a runner on third in the seventh. He struck out the next two batters, getting swinging strikes on six of the nine pitches he threw that inning. He followed that up with a 1-2-3 eighth inning.

 

Tyler Austin was back in the lineup after taking a game off to give his back a break after he tumbled over a railing in Kansas City. His presence was much appreciated, as Austin had an RBI single and a two-run double.

 

Miguel Sano also returned to the lineup, playing for the first time since injuring himself on a slide Sept. 4. During the telecast, Dick Bremer noted that Sano hadn’t attempted a slide since the injury.

 

Huh?

 

You’d think it’d be a good idea to have the guy take some practice slides to make sure everything feels OK before throwing him into a game. Nick wrote a piece last night that touched on some of the questionable choices made by the Twins in concern to how they’ve handled injuries. Add this one to the list.

 

Anyway, Sano looked terrible at the plate, striking out in all four of his at-bats.

 

Trevor Hildenberger gave up a run on two hits in the ninth. He’s having a tough go of things of late, giving up seven earned runs in his last 2 1/3 innings.

 

Postgame With Gimenez

Next Three Games

Wed at DET, 12:10 pm CT: TBD vs. Spencer Turnbull

Thu: Off

Fri at OAK, 9:05 pm CT: TBD

Sat at OAK, 8:05 pm CT: TBD

 

Last Three Games

MIN 6, DET 1: Stewart Impresses, Rosario Exits Due to Injury

MIN 9, KC 6: Twins Swat Four Homers, Avoid Sweep

KC 10, MIN 3: It’s a Hard Road

 

Click here to view the article

[USAFChief]

Sano...woof.

 

I know it’s the first game back, but sheesh. He looked awful, against a mediocre lefty to boot. And he had multiple pitches that were very hittable.

[Homer Hanky]

If the Twins keep Anibal Sanchez and skip on Lynn are we a playoff team?

[Jacksson]

11 games remaining. 11 games under .500. Twins need to run the table.

[jkcarew]

If the Twins keep Anibal Sanchez and skip on Lynn are we a playoff team?

 

Probably yes...in almost every league I can think of, with the obvious exception of the American and National...and the possible exceptions of the International and Pacific Coast.

[DocBauer]

Any win is Great!

 

Odorizzi is ticking me off in an obscure way. His recent approach to pitching out of the stretch has provided quality results, with the exception of one game, or have i missed something and he went back to a conventional approach?

 

He is a guy who takes the ball every 5th day, shows you something, and is competent as a 5th SP. But despite his recent run, that is who he is. I hope the Twins add one more quality SP and convince him he could make serious money and find real success as a set up man and potential closer. I believe his stuff plays that way.

[Han Joelo]

Sano maybe was told to just try and hit homers only so as to avoid any of those pesky base running injuries.

 

Maybe after his baseball career is over, Johnny Field can join the FBI, and eventually track down a gang of bank-robbing surfers.

[theBOMisthebomb]

Sano...woof.

I know it’s the first game back, but sheesh. He looked awful, against a mediocre lefty to boot. And he had multiple pitches that were very hittable.

Yeah, it's an old school statistic. However, Sano is now below the Mendoza Line after last night's 0 for 4 with a .199 batting average.

[BobAzar]

On the radio pregame Cory asked Molitor about the sliding thing. Molitor's response was basically: if you practice sliding you over think and it wont be as natural, and they hoped his baseball instincts would take over in a game and a slide would be fine.

 

not excusing it or agreeing with the reasoning, just saying what the manager said. 

[yarnivek1972]

If the Twins keep Anibal Sanchez and skip on Lynn are we a playoff team?

Sanchez missed half of April and basically all of May. Who makes those starts if not Lynn?

 

By the start of June, when Sanchez started being good, it would probably have been too late.

[Vanimal46]

Yeah, it's an old school statistic. However, Sano is now below the Mendoza Line after last night's 0 for 4 with a .199 batting average.

Maybe Sano needs an opener too so he doesn't have to face the starting pitcher 3 times.

[bighat]

Chris Jiminez has a future in broadcasting. He'll be working for ESPN as an analyst or calling games for some team down the road. Always enjoy hearing from him.

 

If the Twins win these last 11 games, we may quickly forget just how awful this team was here in 2018.

 

They should really just shut Sano down at this point. There's no reason to let him "get his timing back" for the final series of the year.

 

Hildy's audition for the closer role has been nothing short of a disaster.

 

Nice to see Jake Odorizzi flashing some talent!  Could have used a few starts like this back in June and July.

[mikelink45]

 

Yeah, it's an old school statistic. However, Sano is now below the Mendoza Line after last night's 0 for 4 with a .199 batting average.

Not old school - just an accurate and sad statement.  Soon we will have the Sano line and that is just not acceptable.  Look at the Astros - they love home runs, but they also get on base, same with the Indians.  BA still is important. 

[mikelink45]

Hildenberger is not a closer.  Last three games against the high level competition of KC and Detroit and he gave up 8 hits and 7 runs in 2.1 innings.  For the season 71 innings, 69 hits, 39 runs.  Give someone else the end of the game.  He will be in the pen next year, but he is a 6 -7th inning reliever.

 

Not sure losing weight over the off season will correct what Sano is suffering.  Does he need glasses?  I really want to see him turn it around, but since coming up he has been on a path of regression instead of improvement.  

 

With the 20 year old outfielders for the Braves and Nats, are the Twins brave enough to give Kiriloff a chance next year?

[Doctor Wu]

 

If the Twins keep Anibal Sanchez and skip on Lynn are we a playoff team?

I think the Twins would have needed Sanchez and a more quality players to have even come within sniffing distance of a playoff spot this year. On that note: Go Braves!

[USAFChief]

On the radio pregame Cory asked Molitor about the sliding thing. Molitor's response was basically: if you practice sliding you over think and it wont be as natural, and they hoped his baseball instincts would take over in a game and a slide would be fine.

 

not excusing it or agreeing with the reasoning, just saying what the manager said.

 

I had the same theory when my kids reached 15 and wanted to start driving cars. I didn’t teach them, or have them practice. I was worried they’d over think it.

[jtkoupal]

Good to see Odorizzi pitching better.

 

I have been critical of him for much of this season. He has a tendency to labor, suck the third time through the order, and pitch to the score. 

 

Lately, he has been much better. Hopefully, he can be next year's Kyle Gibson. Gibson started to pick up around this time a year ago, so hopefully Jake can be this year's version of that turnaround.

 

The Twins rotation could be in very good shape for 2019.

[AceWrigley]

 

If the Twins keep Anibal Sanchez and skip on Lynn are we a playoff team?

And Palka as LH DH, Dereck Rodriguez starting (leading the Giants with 2.8WAR) and Shaggy in the pen. Hmmmm.

[puckstopper1]

 

If the Twins keep Anibal Sanchez and skip on Lynn are we a playoff team?

 

If the Sanchez would have broken camp with the Twins, there would have been a mass exodus of fans from Target Field.

 

Oh, wait - that happened anyway...

[h2oface]

Let's see. Sliding. Throw you body on the ground, smoothly and at high speed, in fact, the fastest you can make your body go self propelled......... and don't practice? That would be over thinking? To learn and practice until it is second nature and you really can do the motor task without thinking? That is partly why a team that was called the fastest in MLB at the start of the season (and still would rank very high without Buxton) can't steal bases. And Molitor was a natural base stealer. Too bad it doesn't translate for his team.

 

Golden Sombrero for Sano. Now below the Mendoza line again. Just shut him down already. Bregman, Bryant....... stars...... and Sano is a disaster.

 

 

 

 

[Otto von Ballpark]

On the radio pregame Cory asked Molitor about the sliding thing. Molitor's response was basically: if you practice sliding you over think and it wont be as natural, and they hoped his baseball instincts would take over in a game and a slide would be fine.

 

not excusing it or agreeing with the reasoning, just saying what the manager said.

I suspect they may have just told Sano privately: "don't slide"

 

That may not play well publicly, though.