Game Thread: Twins vs White Sox 5:10 PM PST (7:10PM CDT) 8/19/2019

[LVTwinsfan]

Let’s get em back

[yarnivek1972]

And tonight’s start is an example of why the Twins don’t have the luxury of resting Berrios.

 

You might want to believe the others are capable of beating the AL Central’s weak sisters, but it isn’t necessarily true.

[Riverbrian]

 

What changed between the second and third innings?

 

A flare to left, followed by two ground ball single, followed by a mistake to a very good hitter. 

[denarded]

NOT TO GET REACTIONARY but i've been done with Gibson since last year. I hate watching him pitch and am done with it. Good lord, there has to be something better. So glad he's not signed for next year

[IndyTwinsFan]

Or maybe he is just frustratingly average.

 

I'm leaning towards believing Aggies7 point of view at this time.

[Mike Sixel]

People do realize that pitching is nearly impossible right now. Just look at Gibson compared to the league.... Not that I'd pay him seventeen million per year.... But good luck finding two to four guys better this off season

[FLTwinsGuy]

Can the twins go back on the road yet?

[Danchat]

 

And tonight’s start is an example of why the Twins don’t have the luxury of resting Berrios.

You might want to believe the others are capable of beating the AL Central’s weak sisters, but it isn’t necessarily true.

I still think they should rest Berrios so he can be good further down the road. Having him continue to pitch poorly now isn't helping our playoff push.

[yarnivek1972]

People do realize that pitching is nearly impossible right now. Just look at Gibson compared to the league.... Not that I'd pay him seventeen million per year.... But good luck finding two to four guys better this off season

No one said it was easy. But a guy who’s been around as long as Gibson should know he can’t throw a fastball down the middle to a MLB hitter and expect it to not get whacked.

[Danchat]

 

People do realize that pitching is nearly impossible right now. Just look at Gibson compared to the league.... Not that I'd pay him seventeen million per year.... But good luck finding two to four guys better this off season

That's a fair point. The number of quality starters in the MLB is very small...

 

 

NOT TO GET REACTIONARY but i've been done with Gibson since last year. I hate watching him pitch and am done with it. Good lord, there has to be something better. So glad he's not signed for next year

It's funny you say that, I know many didn't want the Twins to trade high on Gibson during the trade deadline last season because we needed him to compete in 2019. I am fine with letting him walk in free agency.

[jz7233]

 

People do realize that pitching is nearly impossible right now. Just look at Gibson compared to the league.... Not that I'd pay him seventeen million per year.... But good luck finding two to four guys better this off season

Twins need to sign both Odorizzi and Pineda and let Gibson and Perez walk.

[USAFChief]

 

No one said it was easy. But a guy who’s been around as long as Gibson should know he can’t throw a fastball down the middle to a MLB hitter and expect it to not get whacked.

1. People throw fastballs down the middle all the time. Most of them don't get whacked.

 

2. That said, I'm guessing he didn't intend to throw it down the middle.

 

3. That's the only hard hit ball he's given up this game.

 

 

[LaBombo]

 

Can the twins go back on the road yet?

 

They ain't throwin' away 50 grand worth of chicken & waffle cones...

[Richie the Rally Goat]

C’mon Gibby! Go get ‘em!

[Richie the Rally Goat]

Twins need to sign both Odorizzi and Pineda and let Gibson and Perez walk.

i’d let Perez walk, but try to extend the other 3. Realistically you won’t get all 3, but Odo plus Pineda or Gibson and you’ve got a dang good floor to build from

[jz7233]

 

1. People throw fastballs down the middle all the time. Most of them don't get whacked.

 

2. That said, I'm guessing he didn't intend to throw it down the middle.

 

3. That's the only hard hit ball he's given up this game.

Try to do the same thing to Harper. 1st pitch fastball down the middle of the plate. Harper will send it to the seats every single time. Good hitters hardly miss that.

[Riverbrian]

 

I'm leaning towards believing Aggies7 point of view at this time.

 

There was a time when I believed in Santa Claus but then I checked the stats. 22 Million kids every single hour. I'm sorry but I thought about it and now question it.

 

Stats help. 

 

[jz7233]

 

i’d let Perez walk, but try to extend the other 3. Realistically you won’t get all 3, but Odo plus Pineda or Gibson and you’ve got a dang good floor to build from

I would say try best to extend Odorizzi and Pineda. Then try to get an ace starting pitcher if they can. Forget about Gibson and Perez. Bring up Graterol. Twins need to be aggressive now because it's time to win.

[bighat]

Sure wish Nelson Cruz could play first base.

[Riverbrian]

 

No one said it was easy. But a guy who’s been around as long as Gibson should know he can’t throw a fastball down the middle to a MLB hitter and expect it to not get whacked.

 

You are right... He should know that but I'm willing to bet that he didn't try to do that and I'm also willing to bet that he has thrown a couple down the middle and gotten away with it. 

[Aggies7]

There was a time when I believed in Santa Claus but then I checked the stats. 22 Million kids every single hour. I'm sorry but I thought about it and now question it.

 

Stats help.

 

So I said “maybe he’s just not good” and you said he was “frustratingly average”. I think we’re saying virtually the same thing, are we not?

[PDX Twin]

Is the White Sox's pitching coach called the Bossa Nova?

[USAFChief]

 

Try to do the same thing to Harper. 1st pitch fastball down the middle of the plate. Harper will send it to the seats every single time. Good hitters hardly miss that.

Again...he missed his spot. It happens. Gibby has pitched well tonight, been a little unlucky, and hurt by the Twins lack of infield range.

 

But nobody hits every fastball down the middle to the seats every time.

 

Watch batting practice sometime. Virtually every pitch is a cookie center cut, and they don't hit every one of THOSE into the seats. They ground some to short, pop some up, lace some singles to center, even swing and miss on occasion. And they hit some into the seats. Including Abreau. Including Harper.

[Riverbrian]

 

Try to do the same thing to Harper. 1st pitch fastball down the middle of the plate. Harper will send it to the seats every single time. Good hitters hardly miss that.

 

Do you realize that there a handful of people reading this post that have probably watched over a thousand baseball games easy. 

 

And those handful of people all know for a fact that Bryce Harper does not send a 1st pitch fastball down the middle of the plate to the seats "every single time". 

 

Now Ryne Harper... Yes... He will punish every mistake pitch. 

[bighat]

Eduardo Escobar has 28 HR and an amazing 98 RBI for Arizona this year. Holy cow. Not saying the Twins had anywhere to put him, don't think anyone said it was a bad trade either. But jimminy christmas, I hadn't checked on his stats in a while.

[Aggies7]

Again...he missed his spot. It happens. Gibby has pitched well tonight, been a little unlucky, and hurt by the Twins lack of infield range.

 

But nobody hits every fastball down the middle to the seats every time.

 

Watch batting practice sometime. Virtually every pitch is a cookie center cut, and they don't hit every one of THOSE into the seats. They ground some to short, pop some up, lace some singles to center, even swing and miss on occasion. Including Harper.

The issue is probably pitch selection as well as badly missing his spot. You have a base open, power hitter, why throw that pitch at all? Difference in the game to this point.

[LaBombo]

 

Sure wish Nelson Cruz could play first base.

 

Play it... like, well, or just, you know... legally?

[gocgo]

Turned on the game saw 2 fat pitches get whacked. First base open, their best hitter, 2 outs, no point in challenging him...and meatball over the fence. If we don't execute better than that, the 2.5 games will be gone soon.

[Riverbrian]

 

So I said “maybe he’s just not good” and you said he was “frustratingly average”. I think we’re saying virtually the same thing, are we not?

 

Maybe we are but clearly coming from different directions. 

 

 

[IndyTwinsFan]

You are right... He should know that but I'm willing to bet that he didn't try to do that and I'm also willing to bet that he has thrown a couple down the middle and gotten away with it. 

That tells me that he apparently doesn't have control of his fastball. If a pitcher doesn't have that, then it's highly unlikely that the rest of his pitches will be more than minimally effective.