Game Thread: Twins v BoSox Double Header, 4/13/21 at 1:10pm and 4:25pm CT

[wsnydes]

Central division is weak, our offense will come around, I still believe pitching is our biggest issue

So, you're expecting another 2019? That's basically what happened then too.

[mrtwinsfan]

Go Twins

[insagt1]

Right now, nothing is working for the Twins. Absolutely nothing. The hitting is terrible. The lineups aren't working. The pitching is awful. The starters aren't making the big pitches. The bullpen has been horrible. The entire team is in a huge funk.

I agree...since we blew the 6-0 lead, it has been all downhill.

And Sano--the guy has 3 hits. So he stands at the plate and watches two pitches over the heart of the plate...then swings at one high and out of the zone. this is a guy who shouldn't be playing. However 'everyone' is saying he'll be fine.

 

Sure thing. But he isn't alone in stinking it out at the plate, especially with RISP. Man this is ugly.

It was pretty clear that Berrios was gassed after 4 innings. He had nothing at all in the 5th. It was like someone flipped the switch.

[Mill1634]

 

Central division is weak, our offense will come around, I still believe pitching is our biggest issue

I'm just not as sold on the offense as others are, and haven't been ever, really. 2019 was great, but it appears to be a flash in the pan. Our best 3 hitters are a near 40 year old, a 3B who is a 90 foot spring away from the IL, and a CF who hasn't shown he can stay on the field consistently. Outside of that, it's a bunch of average to slightly above league average hitters. This isn't a top 5-7 lineup that many writers and fans seem to think it is. 

[Darius]

Nice job with that bullpen, Falvine.

 

Outside of Berrios, Buxton, and Cruz, this team stinks.

[MNT1996]

If the pitching woes and lack of offense wasn't enough, to top it all off our best player has a body made of paper mache.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

 

Where?

Here, i hope.

 

Just 'cause we don't doesn't mean we can't...

[Aggies7]

i'll get flamed for saying this, but I don't think we are a very mentally tough team. or even physically at this point. someone is held out every game with a "mild" whatever. maybe that's just modern baseball or whatever. hitting with RISP is a mental thing as much as physical. so is making big pitches. just seem like an overall meek club

[wsnydes]

Here, i hope.

 

Just 'cause we don't doesn't mean we can't...

I always enjoy your optimism. I really do!

[h2oface]

Duffey lets in 3 of 3, and Thielbar lets in 2 of 3 inherited runners. Just what you have a shut down bullpen for. Instead of stopping any bleeding, they drain the patient. Thielbar escapes with a 0.00 ERA intact. I am sure, in the near future, someone will write something about how good he has been and site his ERA.

[LVTwinsfan]

So, you're expecting another 2019? That's basically what happened then too.

It wouldn’t surprise me. Like I said our offense will be ok, but we won’t slug our way to a championship, we will need a bullpen and starters than can pitch more than 4+ innings

[Mike Sixel]

Neither garlik or cave is a starter on a good mlb team. Kiriloff should be on this roster.

[USAFChief]

Duffey lets in 3 of 3, and Thielbar lets in 2 of 3 inherited runners. Just what you have a shut down bullpen for. Instead of stopping any bleeding, they drain the patient. Thielbar escapes with a 0.00 ERA intact. I am sure, in the near future, someone will write something about how good he has been and site his ERA.

What's his xFIP?

[wsnydes]

It wouldn’t surprise me. Like I said our offense will be ok, but we won’t slug our way to a championship, we will need a bullpen and starters than can pitch more than 4+ innings

I appreciate the optimism, but that's not a description of a team that'll win 100 games or do well in the playoffs.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

 

Nice job with that bullpen, Falvine.

Outside of Berrios, Buxton, and Cruz, this team stinks.

I miss Simmons too. And Donaldson hasn't been back long enough for me to get down on him.

 

Arraez hasn't been all bad.

[mrtwinsfan]

Sure glad to see all that fight after giving up a 6 spot, getting harder for Justin and Dick to make excuses!!

[Aggies7]

imagine how hard it's going to be to sell tickets and get people to come downtown with everything going on, if this team freefalls.

[Aggies7]

 

Sure glad to see all that fight after giving up a 6 spot, getting harder for Justin and Dick to make excuses!!

don't worry, justin just said all the day games mean less on field BP which is hurting the offense. doesn't really explain the opponents knocking the ball around

[mrtwinsfan]

 

i'll get flamed for saying this, but I don't think we are a very mentally tough team. or even physically at this point. someone is held out every game with a "mild" whatever. maybe that's just modern baseball or whatever. hitting with RISP is a mental thing as much as physical. so is making big pitches. just seem like an overall meek club

Spot on !!

[Cap'n Piranha]

Based on what I saw in the top of the 5th, no one wearing powder blue seems to care much about winning right now.  I get that it's hard when you're in the field for 30 minutes as your pitchers walk hitters left and right, I get that they might be distracted by other things right now, but this whole team seems to have adopted Rocco's seeming "aw shucks, didn't work out, get 'em next time, I guess" demeanor.

 

I was a proponent of letting Rosario walk in the offseason, but if he would bring even a modicum of fire and passion to this team, I would love to have him back.

[mrtwinsfan]

 

don't worry, justin just said all the day games mean less on field BP which is hurting the offense. doesn't really explain the opponents knocking the ball around

When i heard Justin say that, i could of used a a Heimlich !

[wsnydes]

don't worry, justin just said all the day games mean less on field BP which is hurting the offense. doesn't really explain the opponents knocking the ball around

They'll get lucky because people want to do things again as the pandemic eases. In a normal year, you'd be spot on.

[Cap'n Piranha]

 

What's his xFIP?

 

For the season? -0.60.

 

For just today? -2.86.

 

Based on this, I think it's safe to assume xFIP doesn't take inherited runners scored into consideration.

[mnfireman]

Unwatchable, so it's a good thing my provider won't let me watch....

[sampleSizeOfOne]

 

I always enjoy your optimism. I really do!

Thielbar has stopped the bleeding.

 

Let's see if my optimism proves valid...

[wsnydes]

Unwatchable, so it's a good thing my provider won't let me watch....

Ha! Never thought that Bally's would be doing me a favor!

 

Thanks Bally's!

[D. Hocking]

 

2019 was great, but it appears to be a flash in the pan. 

 

I am oversimplifying, but as fun as the homeruns were, I think the team took all of the bomba squad talk to their head and felt they could win every game with powering home runs.   When you are on hot streak, you can get away with that for awhile, but when you are not going on all cylinders you get a lot of strike outs or warning track outs.

 

It was 1 to 1 when my meeting started and had to check out -- I might check out again.  Walking the dog in the rain might be better.

 

 

[cHawk]

lol. Some of you just crack me up.

 

If this were in June or July, we wouldn’t be freaking out like this. 

[Darius]

I'm just not as sold on the offense as others are, and haven't been ever, really. 2019 was great, but it appears to be a flash in the pan. Our best 3 hitters are a near 40 year old, a 3B who is a 90 foot spring away from the IL, and a CF who hasn't shown he can stay on the field consistently. Outside of that, it's a bunch of average to slightly above league average hitters. This isn't a top 5-7 lineup that many writers and fans seem to think it is.

I’m starting to wonder how much the loss of Rosario is impacting the lineup. Say what you want about him, but a steady .270 25-30 homer guy getting plucked out from behind Cruz is going to hurt.

 

We’ve gone from that to Kyle Garlick, and his career .723 OPS and negative WAR, hitting in the clean-up spot.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Kirilloff is up.

 

That answers my question.