Game Thread "Hidden Fortress" Twins vs. Rangers 6:40 cdt 5/4/2021 ad

[Mill1634]

We have still not won a non-9 inning ball game. This is probably the 2nd or 3rd worse loss of the year behind the Mariners game and Oakland game where we scored 12 runs. Inexcusable decisions in tonight ball game. I'm not going to slander Waddell for not getting the job done, because I don't thing anyone expected him to. It's on the front office partially for him being an option there, and on Rocco for turning to him when you have Alcala and even Colome rested. 

 

Bad, bad loss. Let's wipe this one away with a blowout tomorrow. 

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Sorry about that.

 

Entirely on me. I guess it's a new month. I'll take my first loss as a game thread intro writer...

[cHawk]

I’m glad the fans at least let Baldy hear it. Maybe that’ll be a kick in the ass and get Rocco going

[MNT1996]

Kepler: 0-4

Donaldson: 0-3

Cruz: 0-4 

Polanco: 0-3

Cave: 0-4

 

Against Gibson and the Rangers

 

[cHawk]

Kepler: 0-4

Donaldson: 0-3

Cruz: 0-4

Polanco: 0-3

Cave: 0-3

 

Against Gibson and the Rangers

Good lord

[Cap'n Piranha]

 

If I'm not mistaken, Oliver Perez was waived and not claimed. Twins need to sign him and Shane Greene right after this game.  

 

Oliver Perez is 39 years old, and Shane Greene struck out fewer than 7 per 9 innings in 2020.  I don't think those two are going to all of the sudden make Rogers our third best option.

[h2oface]

 

Actually, I think Rocco was sending a message to management. 'See what I've got for late innings? I've got BP lefty Brandon Waddell. Do we have nothing better in the minors?' I think Rocco sent Waddell in there figuring he'd blow up, and he did. Buh-bye, Waddell. Two blow-ups in two days should do the trick.

 

If Baldelli is managing any game, even one game, to lose, he should be replaced immediately if not sooner.

[jimbo92107]

 

Didn’t  he already send that message like ten times this year?

Yeah, Baldi probably did send the message a few times already. As a manager, he's stuck with the flotsam and jetsam arms the team allows him to have. Maybe he needs to send messages a different way. Snail mail, message in a bottle, Molotov cocktail, fish wrapped in newspaper... something.

 

In any case, he needs to shake up that bullpen something fierce. They are literally giving away games that the position players are winning with hard effort. 

[Danchat]

Twins in save situations: 4 saves* / 11 chances**

 

* does not count Dobnak's "save" in a blowout

** counts Colome's double blown save as 2 BSs

 

 

That's about as bad as it can get, folks.

[Mill1634]

 

Oliver Perez is 39 years old, and Shane Greene struck out fewer than 7 per 9 innings in 2020.  I don't think those two are going to all of the sudden make Rogers our third best option.

Of course they aren't going to make Rogers the third best option. That isn't the point. But they do allow you to no longer call on Brandon Waddell in the 10th inning. Greene isn't a big strikeout guy, which I'm not a huge fan of (see Alex Colome), but he's a better option than some of the front end bullpen guys we've seen so far. At this point, you have to try something different because it's clear the group in place is not a sufficient bullpen for a want-to-be legit baseball team. 

[h2oface]

 

Well to be fair it's almost equally pathetic that the offense only managed 3 hits 

 

It doesn't matter what the offense has done if you enter the 9th with a 2 run lead and only need 3 outs to win a game. It could be 2-0, or 12-10.... it doesn't matter. If you have the lead, it is on your pitching (and your highest paid player's defense, perhaps).

[Cap'n Piranha]

 

Yeah, Baldi probably did send the message a few times already. As a manager, he's stuck with the flotsam and jetsam arms the team allows him to have. Maybe he needs to send messages a different way. Snail mail, message in a bottle, Molotov cocktail, fish wrapped in newspaper... something.

 

In any case, he needs to shake up that bullpen something fierce. They are literally giving away games that the position players are winning with hard effort. 

 

3 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks against Kyle Gibson and the Rangers is hardly the position players "winning".  The offense looked good for 4 games recently--that doesn't mean all of the sudden its a good offense.

[Cap'n Piranha]

 

Of course they aren't going to make Rogers the third best option. That isn't the point. But they do allow you to no longer call on Brandon Waddell in the 10th inning. Greene isn't a big strikeout guy, which I'm not a huge fan of (see Alex Colome), but he's a better option than some of the front end bullpen guys we've seen so far. At this point, you have to try something different because it's clear the group in place is not a sufficient bullpen for a want-to-be legit baseball team. 

 

Greene averaged better than 9 k's/9 in 2014, 2017, 2018, and 2019 (and was at 8.8 in 2016).  What we are seeing right now is what happens if your best bullpen options are Rogers and Duffey--it's not good enough.  Adding a couple more 7th inning guys isn't the answer.  We need 8th and 9th inning guys.

[insagt1]

It may have been said already, the starters aren't going deep enough in games too. That puts the strain on the pen every night. When the pen is not good (like the one we have), its not surprising that they are 0-6 in extra innings...giving up runs in the 10th every time, no matter who they parade out there. Rogers given two chances to come in and shut the other guys down. He escaped the first time despite allowing 2 runs (unacceptable) but not last night.

The hitters aren't helping in these lower scoring close games. And then our sure handed 3B boots one at the worst time. Poor Cave...he's hopeless. The Turtle? He hits a HR earlier, but then does what he often does...grounds into a routine DP to end the game.

Why didn't Kirilloff play ?

3 lopsided wins can't overcome all these major issues facing the team so far.