Article: Twins Game Recap (7/24): Twins Drop Series in Another Slugfest With Yankees

[Steve Lein]

 

"It's part of major league baseball and the way you use your staff as a whole. There are days that your starter is gonna go...regardless of how the start goes he's gonna go our there and give you x number of pitches......" Baldelli.

 

So tired. So in the box. Not creative. Not thinking about the importance of the game. Not caring about the fans that paid to see the games. It is throwing the towel in in the 4th inning. This is how a team misses the division crown by one game, or the play offs by one game. It was irresponsible to not modify from the plan. Starters need protected too, and sometimes they don't have it, and it is time to get them out of there. And that decision cost this game. Not impressed. 

 

I was at the game and I hated this, agree completely with everything you say. While I know this could be a plan, plans can and should be adapted if they go awry, especially when it's so clear the pitcher didn't have it that day (Odorizzi's body language was terrible the entire time he was in there). 

 

Devin could have came on in the fourth and easily still finished the game the way he pitched. Instead of 9-3, it could have been 6-3, and if it went the same way the game is tied in the fourth instead of absolutely throwing in the towel and just giving the game away.

[mikelink45]

How do the pitchers feel about this up and down pattern? Are we ready for to start the AA pitchers on this conveyor? I am ready for the rookies to start and the starters to be the relievers if it fails.

[Otto von Ballpark]

I was at the game and I hated this, agree completely with everything you say. While I know this could be a plan, plans can and should be adapted if they go awry, especially when it's so clear the pitcher didn't have it that day (Odorizzi's body language was terrible the entire time he was in there).

 

Devin could have came on in the fourth and easily still finished the game the way he pitched. Instead of 9-3, it could have been 6-3, and if it went the same way the game is tied in the fourth instead of absolutely throwing in the towel and just giving the game away.

Yup, and for what? 1 extra inning out of Odorizzi? It's not like he was going the distance or anything close. We were going to need at least 4-5 innings from our pen anyway, so asking them for 6 wouldn't have been that big of a deal.

[puckstopper1]

Odorizzi needs to go back on the IL.  His hot start to the season is a distant memory. He gave them NO CHANCE to win last night.  Frustrating to score 12 runs in one game and 7 in the next and still lose both.

 

The problems with the bullpen are significantly magnified but the horrid recent starting pitching. Without better starting pitching the Twins will not make the playoffs.

 

That starts tonight - the Twins *really* need their #1 guy Berrios to step up tonight - especially with Giolitto opposing him.

 

 

[SpicyGarvSauce]

Goodness, I am glad I did not watch this game.

 

Cave needs to go. Like, yesterday.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Agree, Cave does not belong in Center, and this was known in 2018

[Darius]

The season is slipping away. We just had 3 series at home against the Mets, As, and Jankees (two of which were massive series for playoff positioning, the third against the Mets should’ve been an easy sweep without seeing Thor, DeGrom, or even Wheeler), and we couldn’t win one of them. We even got swept by the Mets at home.

 

It’s unbelievable how far off the rails this has gotten (I believe we may be under .500 since June 1 now, or dangerously close to it), and people still think we’re a contender and things are fine (cue dog in burning house meme). Bremer said on multiple occasions, “two of the best teams in the American league squaring off.” We were outclassed by the Yankees in that series despite the close games, IMO. They needed a hit, they got one every time. People need to wake up and realize this isn’t the team we saw in April/May anymore. We’re not even one of the top 5 best teams in the AL right now (Yankees, Astros, As, Indians, Red Sox, and maybe even the Rays are just flat out better teams right now. The Angels are getting hot riding the Skaggs emotion).

 

It’s soul crushing, really. Just when you start to think it’s our year. This is squarely on Falcine for their refusal to address the bullpen (whether offseason or trade). They’ve even traded away a dominant reliever. It’s time to stop giving these guys a pass. In any market serious about baseball (New York, Boston, St Louis, etc), these guys would be getting roasted. Here, we can’t seem to shower enough praise on these guys for nothing other than taking Terry Ryan’s core and watching them mature and installing a few more 10 keys in the office.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

you want to go into Chicago with a six man pen, one of which is Torres??

Let's hope the FO is smarter than that.

Give him a weeks pay if it makes you feel better, but "great job, Smeltzee, your plane leaves at 11."

Acquire someone, then demote a reliever. There's no one left in Rochester anyway.

[Tom Froemming]

Odorizzi July 19: "Pitch count being low, I would have liked to have continued, but it's not my call. There'll be a time maybe that won't be the case, but I definitely had more in the tank."

 

Baldeilli July 24: "OK, it's time."

[jorgenswest]

What a really strange combination of strike outs and balls in play from Odorizzi.

 

How do you strike out 7 of 24, walk 2 of 24 and only turn the other 15 plate appearance into 5 outs? I am not sure I have seen a mix like that before. Odorizzi’s xFIP probably improved last night.

 

In comparison Smeltzer struck out 4 and walked 0 of 19 plate appearances. The remaining 15 plate appearances turned into 11 outs (one was a DP).

 

They each had 15 balls put in play (including home runs) but the results could not be more strikingly different.

[USAFChief]

 

Acquire someone, then demote a reliever. There's no one left in Rochester anyway.

Well, like I said, I'm not sure who you recall, but acquiring and demoting someone else doesn't change the fact Smelzer is unusable until at least Sunday. I would rather have another arm available.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

You'd need another starter Saturday then, and Smeltzer would only be on 2 days rest.

or you could live with a short bullpen a couple days and give Perez his start Saturday, push back starts on Tuesday. That would also benefit a battered rotation

[Mr. Brooks]

or you could live with a short bullpen a couple days and give Perez his start Saturday, push back starts on Tuesday. That would also benefit a battered rotation

But then you're doubling the amount of time your bullpen is short. Instead of being short smile Smeltzer rests, you are short that time plus the 4 days while Perez can't pitch after his start on Saturday.

[Mr. Brooks]

Odorizzi has had quite a track record of success against the @%#-%_&*#&anks so I'll go with a hiccup as an explanation of this performance. Still a blister problem? One thing I'd like to say is give em a chance to heal and let the Smeltz start a couple but I can't!!!! We need Darin in the pen dagummit!

Ah ok Devin

What track record? His career ERA against the Yankees is 4.71, and that's with a lucky .224 babip.

[VivaBomboRivera!]

 

Smeltzer stays unless he stops going after hitters and throwing first-pitch strikes.  Either make him the long reliever or (more radically) put him in the rotation and shift Gibson/Perez/Pineda to that duty.  The second option would have the added benefit of giving the first two a chance to think real hard about what it means to contribute to a contending team and find their focus, or it could reduce the wear and tear on Pineda 's aging body.

 

And not for the first time am I proven wrong.  ;-)