Article: MIN 2, CLE 0: Berrios Dominates, Sets Twins Opening Day Record for Ks

[Aerodeliria]

The perfect season continues on Saturday! As Tom mentioned, this series is just the first, but it is against Cleveland and it is the first with Neo at the helm.

 

Interestingly, last night I watched a special program called ワースポ：ＭＬＢ (Wasupo: MLB=World Sports: MLB). The show featured Japan's latest pride and joy, Seattle Mariner Kikuchi, and was focused on how data are driving the game of baseball in the MLB. Apparently they have changed Kikuchi's release on the slider after data analysis revealed he wasn't getting enough bite on it. The dip difference on the slider has dramatically improved

 

The show also talked about Justin Verlander and his interest in data as well, but supposedly the biggest オタク (otaku=nerd/geek) is Trevor Bauer who spends hours looking at all aspects of his pitching using all sorts of computer-generated data. Let's hope we can out-nerd him this Saturday.

[Aerodeliria]

PS-I love winning those low-scoring games. (Looking forward to reading the game reports as well as the relief pitcher usage from the Daily crew.)

[AlwaysinModeration]

Is it too much to ask for an undefeated first month of the season?

[AlwaysinModeration]

I noticed the only scoring was done by guys the Twins brought in from the outside. Oh how nice if this team could generate offense from guys that came up through the system!

You mean...the outfield?

[tarheeltwinsfan]

Berrios 7 strikeouts  Rogers 2 strikeouts Castro 4 strikeouts... Great pitch framing by Castro.

[MMMordabito]

"WPA of -0.1 or lower: Kepler -.102, Rosario -.109"

 

My fault. Both in my fantasy lineup yesterday.

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

Berrios = 10K

Rogers = 3K

 

Two Twins pitchers = 13K..

 

Color me impressed!

no kidding... kind of hard to score runs when you don't put the ball in play for almost half of your outs. 

[bunt_vs_the_shift]

 

Berrios 7 strikeouts  Rogers 2 strikeouts Castro 4 strikeouts... Great pitch framing by Castro.

 

I was game-casting from work, so I didn't actually see the game. Are you being serious or sarcastic with Castro and his pitch framing? I haven't been a big Castro guy on account of his miserable offense, but I do think he is solid on D and handled the staff pretty well during 2017. If Buxton hits and our new additions produce, this is the exact kind of lineup where we could hide a good defensive catcher who is generally a liability with the bat... 

[rdehring]

In Columbus, Ohio babysitting our young granddaughter while our son and his wife are on vacation.  So I got to watch the game on the Indians network.

 

Very complementary of Berrios and Rogers.  They weren't even homers when Berrios got several borderline pitches called strikes...as did Kluber.  Every time Gonzalez came up to bat they dwelled on his .455 average vs. Kluber (don't know if that is lifetime or from the recent playoffs).  When he came up with runners on base it seemed they expected him to get a hit.  Looking forward to more of their analysis this weekend.  Hopefully, they can split and win the opening series.

 

Loved the 4 inning save by Rogers.  Expect we will see Perez pitching 3+ innings in relief of Odorizzi.  Its gonna be interesting to see how Rocco uses his bullpen.

[Blake]

Good win against a good team.

[USAFChief]

Season. Over.

[sckelm]

 

I was surprised Rocco sent Berrios out for the 8th. He was pitching a great game, but so early in the season, and most guys ramped for about 75-80 pitches in ST, I felt he would be done after 7. I don't mean to nitpick, but is this a belief in the talent and potential of Berrios...who I have always believed will eventually evolve in to a true #1...a realization we have enough off days that approaching 100 pitches so early in the season just shouldn't matter at this point, or a disbelief in the pen?
 

Great first game!  I was also surprised that Berrios started the 8th, but I didn't hear anything in post-game interviews to shed more light on it.  I would have to think that it was more a matter of Berrios dominance, so don't interrupt a good thing until necessary.

 

A second item that surprised me was not pinch-running for Nelson Cruz in the seventh.  Seemed to be a likely move with a deep bench and the appearance that runs would be scarce today.  Again, not nit-picking Baldelli's first game, but I think it does tell you a bit about the confidence in the bench.  Finally, I loved that Taylor Rogers was given the opportunity for a multi-inning save!

[luckylager]

 

Berrios is one helluva fun player.

 

Loved the post game interview with Marney. Berrios with tears in his eyes. That guy plays with so much heart and emotion. I think it hurt him a bit early on in his MLB career, but now that he has matured he seems to have learned to keep those emotions in check. He is a helluva fun player!

[Number3]

I am assigning this game as 1 of the 42 games in the 60-60-42 rule. If they win 30 of those 42 games they are playoff bound. 1 down 29 to go.

[mlhouse]

Shows you why looking at Spring Training stats is meaningless.

[Doctor Wu]

What a joy to see the Twins win the season opener. Congrats to Rocco and his team! I didn't see the game but I was wondering about Polanco at shortstop. I know there a bit of uncertainty in the past week as to whether he'd be healthy enough to start. I know he didn't have a hit (one of several Twins who zeroed out today) but how did he look today overall?

[Monkeypaws]

I loved the way Rocco handled the bullpen - after Berrios gives up the hit, he waits for them to make the PH move, then brings in the lefty , and lets him close it out over 1 and 1/3 innings. Very efficient. Little economies like that go a long way over 162 games and a  pitching staff of 12.

 

I wouldn't mind seeing the Twins have several guys with 10 or more saves this season. Parker, Mays, and Rogers are all capable. 

[woolywoolhouse]

Buxton's double was a moment of relief, but his catch against the wall in (I believe) the 5th showed more what the Twins were missing for most of 2018: his glove, his speed, and his game-changing outfield defense.

 

Ball seemed to not carry as well yesterday as last year. I think if it was warmer Kepler may have started the game with a homerun and added an extra base hit later (the flyout that Buxton tagged on to go to third.)

[TFRazor]

 

You mean...the outfield?

Don't forget the shortstop

[TFRazor]

 

Is it too much to ask for an undefeated first month of the season?

[Shaitan]

 

I noticed the only scoring was done by guys the Twins brought in from the outside. Oh how nice if this team could generate offense from guys that came up through the system!

If you count Castro and Buxton among the changes, this lineup is very different than a year ago.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

 

I was game-casting from work, so I didn't actually see the game. Are you being serious or sarcastic with Castro and his pitch framing? I haven't been a big Castro guy on account of his miserable offense, but I do think he is solid on D and handled the staff pretty well during 2017. If Buxton hits and our new additions produce, this is the exact kind of lineup where we could hide a good defensive catcher who is generally a liability with the bat... 

I am being serious. Castro was awesome behind the plate.

[lukeduke1980]

This looks for the Indians to be a microcosm of the upcoming season - good starting pitching but where does the offense come from? 

 

Kudos to Berrios for realizing the lineup he was facing and being aggressive.  

[tarheeltwinsfan]

 

 

 

 

A second item that surprised me was not pinch-running for Nelson Cruz in the seventh.  Seemed to be a likely move with a deep bench and the appearance that runs would be scarce today.  Again, not nit-picking Baldelli's first game, but I think it does tell you a bit about the confidence in the bench.  Finally, I loved that Taylor Rogers was given the opportunity for a multi-inning save!

I too thought about Rocco's decision to not pinch run for Cruz at the time. I quickly concluded that in a 0 to 0 game in the 7th, the Twins may need Cruz to bat again. Kluber was rocking with an extremely low pitch count at the time. I thought that Kluber could possibly still be pitching when Cruz's  next at bat came up and I wanted Cruz to hit again, if necessary. Also I had read on TD that someone had been impressed with Cruz on the base paths...not for his speed, but for his savvy base running. So I left him in the game, even after the announcers discussed that when Gardy managed the Twins, he may have replaced Cruz once he reached 2B. I said to the announcers, "Nope, leave Cruz in."

[Marcusesm]

Digging the bullpen usage spreadsheet, that's a great idea!

[jkcarew]

No Lindor for them was helpful...but don't know that it would have mattered given the way Berrios (and Rogers) looked.

 

Buxton's at-bats continued to look encouraging. On the flip-side, you can see how this offense is going to be either on..or OFF. The new power guys are not known for working counts...and it showed. If the ball isn't going over the fence, this lineup has the potential to makes lots of outs...fast. Kepler and Rosario are going to have to look a lot better against good RH pitching, but were bailed out by Berrios yesterday.

 

It was packed...l know it was the opener, but was still surprised a bit by the size of the March 28 crowd, how early everyone showed, etc.  Entire down-town area was packed by 1:00. Nice to see.

[Taildragger8791]

 

No Lindor for them was helpful...but don't know that it would have mattered given the way Berrios (and Rogers) looked.

 

Buxton's at-bats continued to look encouraging. On the flip-side, you can see how this offense is going to be either on..or OFF. The new power guys are not known for working counts...and it showed. If the ball isn't going over the fence, this lineup has the potential to makes lots of outs...fast. Kepler and Rosario are going to have to look a lot better against good RH pitching, but were bailed out by Berrios yesterday.

 

It was packed...l know it was the opener, but was still surprised a bit by the size of the March 28 crowd, how early everyone showed, etc.  Entire down-town area was packed by 1:00. Nice to see.

 

I think the Twins were game-planning to be aggressive against Kluber and avoid getting into pitcher's counts early yesterday. Everyone was swinging the first 4-5 innings. As Kluber reacted to that they started getting more patient.

 

The offense will have some on/off to it with the K-prone hitting, especially when Sano returns. But a lot of that is just the direction baseball is going these days.

[Mr. Brooks]

I was game-casting from work, so I didn't actually see the game. Are you being serious or sarcastic with Castro and his pitch framing? I haven't been a big Castro guy on account of his miserable offense, but I do think he is solid on D and handled the staff pretty well during 2017. If Buxton hits and our new additions produce, this is the exact kind of lineup where we could hide a good defensive catcher who is generally a liability with the bat...

A .695-ish OPS is neither miserable, nor a liability for a catcher. It's right around league average.

[jkcarew]

 

I think the Twins were game-planning to be aggressive against Kluber and avoid getting into pitcher's counts early yesterday.

 

The offense will have some on/off to it with the K-prone hitting, especially when Sano returns.

In terms of avoiding long streaks of outs...if Sano had been in the Twins lineup yesterday, his career OBP would have been the 2nd-highest in the order, barely behind Cruz. So, this lineup definitely figures to be challenged...even in the context of today's game...at finding ways to get on base...and needs to hit the ball over the fence. Of course, they have a few key guys that should still be on the upside of their development...that's where the hope is.

 

I agree that they were being deliberately super-aggressive against Kluber.

[USAFChief]

 

Great first game!  I was also surprised that Berrios started the 8th, but I didn't hear anything in post-game interviews to shed more light on it.  I would have to think that it was more a matter of Berrios dominance, so don't interrupt a good thing until necessary.

 

A second item that surprised me was not pinch-running for Nelson Cruz in the seventh.  Seemed to be a likely move with a deep bench and the appearance that runs would be scarce today.  Again, not nit-picking Baldelli's first game, but I think it does tell you a bit about the confidence in the bench.  Finally, I loved that Taylor Rogers was given the opportunity for a multi-inning save!

Wasn't Baldelli just raving about Cruz's baserunning ("secondary lead") aiding in a run scoring, after a spring game?

 

He's not fast, but maybe he's a good baserunner.

 

Also, I agree with the above poster...I wouldn't take his bat out of the lineup in a 0-0 game. That's something Gardenhire would do...