Front Page: Twins Game Recap (9/17): Twins Win Wild Game on a Walk Off Hit-By-Pitch

[Dantes929]

 

We scored early and often last night, too.

All I want is just one more run than them ... no more, no less.

So maybe score early, often and continuous.    I know we scored 5 runs in the 3rd but there is a reason Smalley and Morneau say you have to change the number when you score big early.   

[mrtwinsfan]

 

Ok, I know he doesn't deserve the win and that he didn't pitch well but my old coach used to preach that you never knew how many runs you needed to score or how many you needed to limit the other team to until it was all over so you just need to keep plugging.    That two run homer hurt but Harper hung in there and battled to keep it at just two runs.   As it turns out that was exactly what was needed..   I won't give him a lot of credit but i will give him some.   

Cmon at least a-- misdeamor 

[AceWrigley]

 

So I get home at midnight expecting to watch the replay of the game and pre season Wild hockey is on......really? This sucks.

I thought in Minnesota everything hockey just short of Lou Nanne's career NHL highlight reel takes precedent over all.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

At least you won’t be forcibly removed from a bar anymore, for requesting to put the Twins game on.

[SpicyGarvSauce]

 

On the play at 3B, don't know why McCann double-clutched unless Moncada was not at the bag yet, which, if true, Wade was weighing that as part of the equation of making a break for it.

 

I went to bed after the Anderson bomb.

 

Three times now this season that's happened that the morning has a happy ending included.

Right. A lot of times the base runner, in that situation, isn't stealing off of the catcher. Rather, a number of other factors (such as the fielders positioning, etc.).

[gocgo]

I confess...I turned it off after the two run  homer in the top of the 12th.  I was nodding off anyway...I need to watch the replay.

[yarnivek1972]

Big opportunity for a Brusdar breakout. But don't forget, they also used 6 relievers, and three more threw 36 pitches over 3.2 innings the night before.

 

Score early. Score often.

 

AMEN!

The White Sox aren’t trying to clinch a division title.

[SpicyGarvSauce]

A win is a win, but the ineptitude of the White Sox really got Rocco off the hook last night - why is Harper being used in high leverage situations at all? It made no sense to bring him in when you had a rested Graterol or Romero. I assume he is saving Dobnak, Smeltzer, and Thorpe for the weekend but come on - using Harper in that situation was a bone headed move.

 

Having Odo go 7 tonight would be huge, but unexpected. Twins have struggled against Nova too, so maybe tonight is the night they bust out.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Right. A lot of times the base runner, in that situation, isn't stealing off of the catcher. Rather, a number of other factors (such as the fielders positioning, etc.).

The radio guys said Wade had a great secondary lead, and broke for third instantly.

 

Great hustle, great play. What more could you ask for.

[bird]

 

I feel bad for Harper. He had a good season going earlier on. He pitched in a lot of big spots and pitched well for us. He shouldn't be disparaged and cast off like he's nothing (I've read other comments about him here).

 

 

 

Yeah, instead of lamenting the use of Harper, we might want to consider how lucky we are that they've introduced us to 7-8 relievers since his demotion that are better options than he is.

 

I find it interesting that we disparage all these pitchers, and remarkably they end up being good enough for some other team: Magill, Eades, Morin, Parker, Mejia (who'd I miss?) are all playing for someone else. Harper would find a home real quick-like. What does that tell us?

[rdehring]

Went to bed with the game in the 10th.  Continued watching until the top of the 12th was finished with the Twins down 8-6.  Gave control of the remote to my wife who put the sleep timer on and changed to Home and Garden as I went to sleep.  Woke up this morning and put CNBC on to check the pre market around 4:30 and saw the scores scroll across the bottom.  Had to wait until they came around a second time to believe what I had seen.

 

I haven't been a huge fan of Lamonte Wade.  No real reason, other than he just never did anything that I could get excited about...as I do about Kirilloff, Rooker, Larnach now or Span and others back when.  As I watch him get more playing time the last week or so I am warming.  Doubt we will see him on next year's opening day roster.  But assuming he has more options, he certainly is someone that can play at AAA and be available when the Twins have an injury to one of the four outfielders on their 2020 roster.

 

I expect the magic number to be between 1 and 3 when they depart for their season ending road trip Sunday night.  If they are, the division title is secure.  Should it be 4, 5 or 6, they are gonna have to play very good ball next week.  But I don't see 4-6 as likely as wins in 3 of the remaining 5 games this week and at least one loss by Cleveland puts their number at 3.  

 

[VivaBomboRivera!]

 

The White Sox aren’t trying to clinch a division title.

Good, maybe that makes them ready to roll over.  ;-)

[Dave The Dastardly]

 

Yeah, instead of lamenting the use of Harper, we might want to consider how lucky we are that they've introduced us to 7-8 relievers since his demotion that are better options than he is.

 

I find it interesting that we disparage all these pitchers, and remarkably they end up being good enough for some other team: Magill, Eades, Morin, Parker, Mejia (who's I miss?) are all playing for someone else. Harper would find a home real quick-like. What does that tell us?

Shaggy?

[MMMordabito]

 

Might be an opportunity to see Alcala pitch.

Yep, draw it up ... Odorizzi for 5.2, Stashak 1.1, Graterol 1.0, Alcala 1.0 .... Hit 5 bombas and sweep the Sox out of town!

[mikelink45]

wins like this are fun and a W is always good, but the workload on an overloaded bullpen is a problem.  What would we have done if the limits for September had been in place this year?

[yarnivek1972]

A win is a win, but the ineptitude of the White Sox really got Rocco off the hook last night - why is Harper being used in high leverage situations at all? It made no sense to bring him in when you had a rested Graterol or Romero. I assume he is saving Dobnak, Smeltzer, and Thorpe for the weekend but come on - using Harper in that situation was a bone headed move.

 

Having Odo go 7 tonight would be huge, but unexpected. Twins have struggled against Nova too, so maybe tonight is the night they bust out.

I’m not sure I would call Romero a better option. Graterol maybe, but he’s got 5 MLB innings under his belt.

[SpicyGarvSauce]

 

I’m not sure I would call Romero a better option. Graterol maybe, but he’s got 5 MLB innings under his belt.

 

Why not?

 

Romero at least has stuff that can get a K when needed and be successful. The book is out on Harper. Lay off the breaking pitch, and sit on his fastball and absolutely crush it - which is what the guy did.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

The graph of win probability makes me think of a seismic anomaly.

[VATwinsFan]

 

Yep, draw it up ... Odorizzi for 5.2, Stashak 1.1, Graterol 1.0, Alcala 1.0 .... Hit 5 bombas and sweep the Sox out of town!

Make it so.

[Bomba2026]

So I stayed up till 4am watching the replay of a great win! The good part is they cut out a lot of our pitching due to time constraints! The Rally Squirrel was hilarious sitting on the dugout! I'm going to the game Fri (send prayers and wishes for NO rain) and I'm taking a rally squirrel and homer hankey!

[Alex Schieferdecker]

Poor FSN, they understandably figured the LaMarre at-bat was safe to interview Saunders.

 

But no time is safe with this team.

[Riverbrian]

Why not?

 

Romero at least has stuff that can get a K when needed and be successful. The book is out on Harper. Lay off the breaking pitch, and sit on his fastball and absolutely crush it - which is what the guy did.

I could be wrong but I thought it was a curveball that he hung for the homer.

[Riverbrian]

wins like this are fun and a W is always good, but the workload on an overloaded bullpen is a problem. What would we have done if the limits for September had been in place this year?

Im staying the obvious bit When the starters are knocking out innings like they were in April and May. it leaves less innings for the bullpen to throw and fresher arms. When that dynamic changes as it has abruptly in September the unavailability of relievers appears.

 

It becomes a paradigm shift on a dime.

 

This World Series will be won by our bullpen.

[AceWrigley]

 

I could be wrong but I thought it was a curveball that he hung for the homer.

It was a gopher ball.

[SpicyGarvSauce]

 

I could be wrong but I thought it was a curveball that he hung for the homer.

Just checked MLB - it was a fastball.

 

If I knew how to share the image, I would. It just looked like a curve ball.

[rdehring]

 

wins like this are fun and a W is always good, but the workload on an overloaded bullpen is a problem.  What would we have done if the limits for September had been in place this year?

The 28 limit may not be as bad as we think.  I heard Falvey interviewed during a game a few weeks ago.  He said it was 28 with an *.  The * means that they designate 28 players at the beginning of each series.  Those players can be changed for the next series.  There was speculation that the two starters who won't be starting a game in the series could be left off the roster as well as other changes.  So it sounds like the team could keep around 30-32 players available with only 28 rostered for each series.  Kind of like what the NHL does every game.

 

They also didn't sound all that certain how this would work.  Seemed to me that there may be more fine tuning before we get to next opening day.

Edited September 18, 2019 by rdehring

[yarnivek1972]

It was a gopher ball.

Great big gobs of greasy, grimy gopher guts...

[Squirrel]

 

So I stayed up till 4am watching the replay of a great win! The good part is they cut out a lot of our pitching due to time constraints! The Rally Squirrel was hilarious sitting on the dugout! I'm going to the game Fri (send prayers and wishes for NO rain) and I'm taking a rally squirrel and homer hankey!

LOVED watching the game from there! The guys were so happy and excited!

[DocBauer]

I blame the entire TV broadcast crew for almost losing the game. You NEVER put up graphics and wax poetically how good something or someone is because inevitably it will lead to something awful happening soon after.

 

Don't these guys know anything about baseball???

[jctwins]

 

This game had pretty much everything you could ask for from a great baseball game. 

 

Giving up a five run lead against a terrible team, thrashing the bullpen, and going from a good pace to a drag?

 

Hardly.

 

This team just isn't good enough to win in the playoffs right now.