Front Page: Twins Game Recap (9/3): Twins Win Nail-biter In Fenway!

[USAFChief]

If Rogers comes out for the ninth and faces three righties, that is a massive failure of analytical management on Baldelli's part.

 

Sure, Rogers has a good OPS against RHB but he has given up six home runs to them this season. Dyson has a similar split but Romo is markedly better.

 

When every out matters like they do in the postseason, I'll be disappointed if Baldelli just rolls with a "he's our closer" mentality, especially because Rogers is left-handed and the Twins will likely face some truly nasty right-handed dominant lineups in the postseason.

he's been doing that for a while now, you expect it to change in the postseason?

[Platoon]

my guess is its MORE likely Rogers is asked to get 4, 5 or 6 out saves in the postseason.

And I strongly doubt Baldelli gives anyone but Rogers save opportunities as well.

Rogers has been the "closer" for a while now. There's been no "playing matchups." Like it or not, that's pretty much the way Baldelli has been playing ot for months, and I highly doubt he changes in the postseason.

Quadruple like this! It makes no difference whether Baldy should play match ups, or whether he should rely on his only dominant LHRP. What matters is what he actually does. And so far, in far less significant games he has leaned on Rogers far more than any other pitcher.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

he's been doing that for a while now, you expect it to change in the postseason?

FWIW, Romo has 3 saves since we acquired him, including one where Rogers pitched the 8th inning ahead of him.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

my guess is its MORE likely Rogers is asked to get 4, 5 or 6 out saves in the postseason.

I agree with this. The SP will probably get pulled even more aggressively in the postseason, leaving more innings for the bullpen.

[USAFChief]

 

FWIW, Romo has 3 saves since we acquired him, including one where Rogers pitched the 8th inning ahead of him.

That's the key part, and it's only been once.

 

We'll see, but I'd be very surprised if any postseason save opportunities didn't go to Rogers, no matter the opposing lineup.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

That's the key part, and it's only been once.

 

We'll see, but I'd be very surprised if any postseason save opportunities didn't go to Rogers, no matter the opposing lineup.

Well, it's only been a little over a month that we've had Romo.

 

I don't deny Rogers is our closer, and I don't think matchups will determine his usage much, except perhaps if/when Rogers enters in the 8th inning. But I think if Rogers goes 4+ outs in a game, or if (heaven forbid) Rogers struggles in a game, we might see Romo in a save opportunity the next night.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

Well, it's only been a little over a month that we've had Romo.

 

I don't deny Rogers is our closer, and I don't think matchups will determine his usage much, except perhaps if/when Rogers enters in the 8th inning. But I think if Rogers goes 4+ outs in a game, or if (heaven forbid) Rogers struggles in a game, we might see Romo in a save opportunity the next night.

And Baldelli does something completely different last night, something I fully agreed with from day one: play the matchups.

 

But I also understand why he doesn't aggressively play the matchups on a random day in June, which was part of my point I didn't say out loud. Rocco is smart enough to realize he can't manage a 162 game season like it's September or the postseason, something his predecessor never seemed to grasp.

 

I hope to see a lot more of what we saw last night in October (and maybe a few games in the coming days if it means the Twins can bury Cleveland by mid-September).