Game Thread Twins @ Oakland 4/21/2021 2:37 PM CDT

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

I’m glad this team has to sit in a plane together for the next 3 hours. I hope there’s a emergency layover in Provo.

[Mike Sixel]

 

Yes the errors, but the dummy manager should be canned for bringing colome back for the tenth and leaving him in. This is rudimentary baseball. 

 

I don't agree at all. This is why they brought Colome in.....

 

I did NOT like pinch running for Donaldson though, I agree on that one being a bad decision.

[h2oface]

 

I can't help but laugh at how pathetic this team is!!

 

Ironically, Colome did his job and forced two rather routine groundballs, but our infielders couldn't help but poop themselves. Unbelievable.

 

Two blown saves in one game. Where did all those runners come from? Only one of them was an error. If that is his job, we may as well go for first overall draft pick.

[Mike Sixel]

 

I’m glad this team has to sit in a plane together for the next 3 hours. I hope there’s a emergency layover in Provo.

 

with no alcohol.....

[D. Hocking]

I just heard the replay of the overthrow - Dan's groan was heartfelt.  

[Aggies7]

 

I don't agree at all. This is why they brought Colome in.....

 

I did NOT like pinch running for Donaldson though, I agree on that one being a bad decision.

It matters not why they brought him in when he’s been an utter failure at the one thing he was brought in to do. I mean a total failure. Keeping him in that position and costing the team losses because “that was the plan” is horse pucky. I mean, your argument could stand for the ninth inning, but after he blew that and you bring him back out? And not have someone ready in case he gets in trouble? That’s on Rocco who is quickly establishing himself as an awful manager

[Vanimal46]

I remember blowing a ten run lead in Oakland maybe ten years ago

I do too. We’ve had some wild moments in Oakland over the years.

[h2oface]

 

no, can’t get another save opportunity after blowing it, win or loss at that point

 

What if he had just given up 2 in the 10th? and the score was tied at the end of 10 at 12?

He had the lead by one at the beginning of the 9th, and blew the save.

He had the lead by 2 at the beginning of the 10th..... and if tied at the end of the inning..... not a loss or a win.... but a blown save, no?

 

Plus, a pitcher gets a blown save and a loss many times in one outing.

I'm not saying you are wrong, but it doesn't make sense to me, and I am not thinking you are the final word, either. 

[Aggies7]

 

I do too. We’ve had some wild moments in Oakland over the years.

And ironically it was the site of our last playoff series win almost 20 years 

[RickOShea]

very embarrassing and confusing.  I'm thinking Baldelli's first couple of years, were a little smoke and mirrors.  It's still early, but they're making mistakes you don't even make in spring training.  i have a little conflict with Dan hayne (?) from the Athletic about our bullpen.  Dan, you still think our bp doesn't need more power pitchers?

[LVTwinsfan]

What if he had just given up 2 in the 10th? and the score was tied at the end of 10 at 12?

He had the lead by one at the beginning of the 9th, and blew the save.

He had the lead by 2 at the beginning of the 10th..... and if tied at the end of the inning..... not a loss or a win.... but a blown save, no?

 

Plus, a pitcher gets a blown save and a loss many times.

a pitcher can only blow a save once in a game, a different pitcher could also get a blown save

[Aggies7]

Food for thought, berrios was yanked while throwing a no hitter with only 36 more pitches than colome had today

[teachercoach]

I hate this word, CHOKE - but

 

2Out, RISP and can't come thru

HBP - 2 today, both score, walking leadoff hitter in late innings, etc.

can't get strike 3 after getting ahead 0-2

can't make routine plays to get the last out

 

have to make major league plays to be a major leaguer.

Why it's a hard game for guys that make The Show to stay in The Show

 

hard to conceive the last 2 games are both 1 run losses.

 

[sampleSizeOfOne]

 

I remember blowing a ten run lead in Oakland maybe ten years ago

I myself was thinking of the Yankee's game in 2018, where Aaron Hicks got to make a difference in the outcome.

 

But this was special. At least it was team work that made this possible. There will be company for misery.

[Cap'n Piranha]

The job of a pitcher is to not let runs score.  Sure, errors aren't his fault (unless it's his error), but with Colome on the mound, opposing teams have now scored 11 runs in 8 innings.  That's...not great from the guy Rocco insists on treating like a traditional closer.

 

I do give Colome a pass to a degree on the 10th today.  There was nothing he did in the 9th today that would make any rational manager think he should be out there for the 10th.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Well... no chicken for me.

[Rigby]

I remember them blowing a 10-0 lead to Cleveland in 1984 with Frankie on the mound. Brutal...

[Azviking101]

This team is cooked. Players aren’t playing well but how can you take Donaldson out with Colome on the mound? Doesn’t strike anyone out and need the defense. I doubt blankenhorn is any faster and he has no mlb experience. Fans are heckling all game. He’s likely nervous as can be. Just a recipe for disaster. I said it aloud the moment I saw it happen and it lost the game.

Rocco has to stop getting cute or he has to go.

[HokieRif]

[Aggies7]

Soft team with a bad manager. Succinct as I can put it

[Cap'n Piranha]

I'm willing to accept that officially, a pitcher can't blow two saves in one game.

 

But realistically?  Colome blew two saves in this game (with an assist from Rocco).

[cHawk]

The Minnesota Falcons

[Aggies7]

One of the worst regular season losses that is worse than this one....giambi hitting a grand slam down by three runs in the bottom of the 13th in yankee stadium against mike trombley in 2002. I was LIVID

[operation mindcrime]

Sometimes all you can do is laugh. Operation Mind crime is a bastian of positivity on this site! Definitely needed.

Thanks man! \m/

[LVTwinsfan]

The Minnesota Falcons

The peanut butter falcons

[nicksaviking]

Must not be any analytics to support such an idea. I agree with you though.

I doubt analytics has anything to do with it. Each of the last four managers did the same thing.

 

Pretty sure Kent Hrbek and his .850 OPS used to get pinch run for twice a week.

[wabene]

Usually Luis is a gamer.

[LVTwinsfan]

I doubt analytics has anything to do with it. Each of the last four managers did the same thing.

 

Pretty sure Kent Hrbek and his .850 OPS used to get pinch run for twice a week.

Roccos mistake was he thought he had a bullpen

[Cap'n Piranha]

 

This team is cooked. Players aren’t playing well but how can you take Donaldson out with Colome on the mound? Doesn’t strike anyone out and need the defense. I doubt blankenhorn is any faster and he has no mlb experience. Fans are heckling all game. He’s likely nervous as can be. Just a recipe for disaster. I said it aloud the moment I saw it happen and it lost the game.
Rocco has to stop getting cute or he has to go.

 

Blankenhorn probably is significantly faster--in 2020, Donaldson was the second slowest player on the team (24.9 ft/sec), behind even Nelson Cruz.  He's even worse in 2021, down to 23.8 ft/sec.

 

The real question is, what are the odds that the extra speed will be needed, and does that outweigh the superior defense Donaldson offers, and the possibility of him batting again in a potential 11th inning?  I say no--unless you want to steal a base or bunt a guy over, 3-4 feet per second probably won't come into play very often.  It might on a sac fly, but you can always wait to see if Donaldson would have ended up on third with less than 2 outs before pinch running.

[Halsey Hall]

Let’s just play 7 innings for the rest of the season and get it over with.