GAME THREAD: Dodgers @ Twins, 4/13/22, 12:10 CT

[nicksaviking]

I don't have strong opinions on Baldelli, but why does everyone assume the defensive decisions and how many innings Paddack was going to pitch today were just his spur of the moment decisions?

These seem to be the kinds of things that were crafted as a collaborative game plan.

[Vanimal46]

You know things are going well when the crowd sarcastically cheers a called strike. 

[Vanimal46]

Nice heads up play by Polanco. 

[RpR]

Four cheers for POLANCO, Rah, Rah, Rah, Rah; good fielding by SS and Catcher.

[Mill1634]

Pretty good play by a guy who shouldn't be at SS!

[Brock Beauchamp]

Hey, something entirely watchable happened!

MY LIFE IS NOT A WASTE

[Cap'n Piranha]

6 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

Don’t we have a couple 13, 14 relievers already on roster? Yet we needed to call up Rodriguez and immediately use him?

No evidence for it, but it feels like the Twins saw this game as a likely L, so decided to not really play all out to win.  If true, that speaks somewhat to the Twins attempting to use strategy.  Whether I agree with that strategy is another thing.

[Brock Beauchamp]

I cannot believe he got out of the inning unscathed.

[Mike Sixel]

6 minutes ago, Cap'n Piranha said:

CC can get a day off tomorrow--when there's, you know, a day off.  Starting Friday, the Twins have 10 games in 10 days, so sit him for a game in that stretch.

Go look at the bullpen chart from last night's game recap--the Twins have 10 relievers, but only 4 of them (Rodriguez, Jax, Duran, and Duffey didn't pitch last night).  You have to think both Thielbar and Smith are completely out, as they've pitched two days in a row.  So Rocco left himself in a bad spot if Paddack had a short start, got injured, or the game goes to extras, all because he pitched 4 guys (all of whom are probably in the top half of his 10 man bullpen) in a game the Twins had pretty well in hand.  That then cascaded into last night's 7 reliever fiasco.

I didn't say I agreed with the plan.....I said it shows he's not JUST thinking about today, as some people here are saying. Over and over and over and over.

They have more RPs than they need, are you really worried they don't have enough RPs for today? 

[TouchEmAllGuy]

Just like he planned

[chpettit19]

2 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

I don't have strong opinions on Baldelli, but why does everyone assume the defensive decisions and how many innings Paddack was going to pitch today were just his spur of the moment decisions?

These seem to be the kinds of things that were crafted as a collaborative game plan.

The FO is absolutely a large part of the decision making on these things. Winder not being good last night changed some plans would be my guess. The Correa/Buxton situation is something I hope was not a pre-planned situation. If they plan to take them both off the field defensively in more games this year by choice I'm going to be pretty upset about that. Doesn't make any sense to me. But that then gets me wondering why Correa was taken out last night and isn't in tonight. Hopefully he's back Friday and we all forget about these awful, rainy games the last 2 days.

[Mike Sixel]

5 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

I don't have strong opinions on Baldelli, but why does everyone assume the defensive decisions and how many innings Paddack was going to pitch today were just his spur of the moment decisions?

These seem to be the kinds of things that were crafted as a collaborative game plan.

Because, and I'm being polite, people here don't seem to think things thru fully? Also, these aren't his decisions alone. 100% this is him and the FO working together. 100%.

[Aggies7]

Guys, this isn’t looking good

[nicksaviking]

5 minutes ago, Cap'n Piranha said:

No evidence for it, but it feels like the Twins saw this game as a likely L, so decided to not really play all out to win.  If true, that speaks somewhat to the Twins attempting to use strategy.  Whether I agree with that strategy is another thing.

Yeah, I know it's not a popular sentiment, but getting out of this crapshow weather game against a crafty HOF lefty who was likely to pick apart the lineup, but keeping the best players healthy, was probably the top goal for today.

[Mill1634]

Honestly, at this point, just take the perfect game. If I am watching these crappy at-bats, I want to see history. 

[Vanimal46]

Just now, Aggies7 said:

Guys, this isn’t looking good

Kershaw is putting on a pitching clinic this afternoon. We’re completely lost at the plate. 

[Mill1634]

Worth noting that Kershaw led all pitchers in swinging strike % last year (if you remove the innings pitched requirement).

[Squirrel]

23 minutes ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

Carlos Correa is not going to play 162 games. Who do you suggest Rocco start in his place?

Urshela, maybe? (Although I don't know his stats there in that position.) But Polanco is certainly fine as a backup in spot starts here and there. Also, Correa had a shorter ST than everyone else, so I can understand giving Correa the day this early in the season.

[gunnarthor]

really ugly game by the good guys so far.

[Mill1634]

Dodger's announcer just said he'd be surprised if Kershaw goes out past the 6th inning. 

[LaBombo]

6 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

Kershaw is putting on a pitching clinic this afternoon. We’re completely lost at the plate. 

 

Caught a snippet of Barreiro in the car yesterday, plugging the Twins' series with the Dodgers.  He specifically mentioned the chance to see Clayton Kershaw, 'one of the all-time Dodger greats, although no longer in his prime'.

 

Lucky us. 

[Melissa]

13 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

You know things are going well when the crowd sarcastically cheers a called strike. 

One reporter mentioned that a lot of Dodgers fans are attending these games.

[Melissa]

If I were the schedule Queen, I would have had the Twins in LA for this series and the Dodgers here in August. Maybe we could have started the season on the west coast in Seattle, then SoCal.

[LaBombo]

Watching the comparison of Kershaw's identical delivery of the fastball and slider even in slow motion along with the Twins' resulting swings and misses makes me wonder how the Twins have put the ball in play 6 times.

[Aggies7]

Strong 2021 vibes here

[Mill1634]

4 minutes ago, Melissa said:

If I were the schedule Queen, I would have had the Twins in LA for this series and the Dodgers here in August. Maybe we could have started the season on the west coast in Seattle, then SoCal.

Reminder that this wasn't supposed to be the opening week/series. 

[Vanimal46]

This is something else. 

[Puckett34]

[Aggies7]

Embarrassing 

[Puckett34]

C'mon Dave. Keep sending Kershaw out there. If the Twins are gonna lose, lets see some history.